Sign in | Register

Tommy Ryan

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

All information provided below is based only on data available in the RLP database and should be used as a guide only.

Vital Statistics

Full Name
Thomas Alfred Ryan
Born
Friday, 9th May, 1930
Died
Thursday, 24th August, 2023 (Aged 93 years and 107 days)

Competitions Won

NSW City vs Country Firsts
1952
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL)
1956, 1957, 1958

Biography

Blockbusting centre/winger came to St George from Inverell. A boarder at St Joseph's College Hunter’s Hill, Ryan was graded by the Dragons in 1950. Selected for the 1952-53 Kangaroos, he made his Test debut in the Third Test against England after switching to the wing and scored two tries in Australia's 27-7 victory. Ryan went on to play in all three Tests against France and crossed for 24 tries in 20 matches on tour. Although he did not represent NSW in an interstate match (or Australia again for that matter), Ryan scored 6 tries for NSW against the American 'All-Stars' team in 1953. He played in both the 1956-57 grand final victories for St George and took his try-scoring prowess to record heights, top-scoring in 1956 (18t) and 1957 (26t) - the latter a club record that still stands.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Additional Notes

Born in Bingara, NSW. Played the 1955 season in Rockhampton, Qld but at completion of the season returned to Sydney and played in the final for St.George against Souths.

Playing Career Statistics

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Representative Career - International   Comp Wins Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Tests (Senior International Matches) - 4 - 4 4-4 - - - 12 - - - 2 2 - 50.00% List
The Ashes - 1 - 1 2-2 - - - 6 - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
Tour Matches AustraliaAUS - 20 - 20 24-24 - - - 72 - - - 18 2 - 90.00% List
Tour Matches New South Wales FirstsNFI - 1 - 1 6-6 - - - 18 - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
Tour Matches Queensland FirstsQFI - 1 - 1 --- - - - - - - - - 1 - 0.00% List
Tour Matches Central QueenslandCNQ - 2 - 2 2-2 - - - 6 - - - 1 1 - 50.00% List
Test Series - 4 - 4 4-4 - - - 12 - - - 2 2 - 50.00% List
Representative Career - Australia   Comp Wins Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Interstate Series - 2 - 2 --- - - - - - - - 1 1 - 50.00% List
NSW City vs Country Firsts 1 1 - 1 --- - - - - - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
NSW City vs Country 1 4 - 4 --- - - - - - - - 4 - - 100.00% List
Club Career - Australia   Comp Wins Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Country Carnival - 5 - 5 5-5 - - - 15 - - - 4 - 1 80.00% List
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) 3 95 - 95 79-79 - - - 237 - - - 65 28 2 68.42% List
NSWRFL Finals - 9 - 9 7-7 - - - 21 - - - 6 3 - 66.67% List
Overall   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
First Class  125 - 125 111-111 - - - 333 - - - 90 33 2 72.00% List

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Australia 1952-53   4 - 4 4-4 - - - 12 - - - 2 2 - 50.00% List

Australia - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Possibles (AU) 1951-52   2 - 2 3-3 - - - 9 - - - 2 - - 100.00% List
Sydney Firsts 1952-53, 1956   3 - 3 1-1 - - - 3 - - - 3 - - 100.00% List
NSW City Firsts 1952   1 - 1 --- - - - - - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
NSW City Seconds 1953, 1956   2 - 2 --- - - - - - - - 2 - - 100.00% List
NSW Firsts 1953   1 - 1 6-6 - - - 18 - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
Riverina 1954   1 - 1 2-2 - - - 6 - - - - - 1 0.00% List
NSW Country Seconds 1954   1 - 1 --- - - - - - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
Central QLD 1955, 1963   2 - 2 2-2 - - - 6 - - - 1 1 - 50.00% List
QLD Firsts 1955   3 - 3 --- - - - - - - - 1 2 - 33.33% List
Metropolis 1957   1 - 1 1-1 - - - 3 - - - 1 - - 100.00% List

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year

Team Season   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
St GeorgeSt George 19511951 NSWRFL   14 - 143-3 - - - 9 - - - 7 6 1 50.00% List
St GeorgeSt George 19521952 NSWRFL   11 - 1114-14 - - - 42 - - - 6 5 - 54.55% List
St GeorgeSt George 19531953 NSWRFL   18 - 1811-11 - - - 33 - - - 11 7 - 61.11% List
St GeorgeSt George 19551955 NSWRFL   1 - 11-1 - - - 3 - - - - 1 - 0.00% List
St GeorgeSt George 19561956 NSWRFL   19 - 1918-18 - - - 54 - - - 14 4 1 73.68% List
St GeorgeSt George 19571957 NSWRFL   19 - 1926-26 - - - 78 - - - 16 3 - 84.21% List
St GeorgeSt George 19581958 NSWRFL   13 - 136-6 - - - 18 - - - 11 2 - 84.62% List

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
St George 1951-53, 1955-58   95 - 95 79-79 - - - 237 - - - 65 28 2 68.42% List

Your Say

  • Ellie Ryan
    27 Mar 2012 10:25pm

    i am his granddaughter and i cant belive thomas alfred ryan (my pop) holds a record!!!!

  • Dave townes
    3 Feb 2021 8:18pm

    I first met Tom when he was the publican at the exchange hotel, Taree. Learnt about his pursuits in Rugby League. Was a great footballer and even greater person. Fantastic bloke and well loved by the local Rugby League team, Taree United. The players loved him.

  • Steve Dillon
    26 Aug 2023 8:22pm

    Tommy passed away 24 August 2023

  • Anonymous
    29 Sep 2023 12:33am

    Lovely man met him when he and his wife living in berry needed autograph for saints players in 11 years in a row no problem and talked about the old days not like players now

  • trevor
    1 Aug 2024 10:30am

    i was 11 years old and watched st. george train and play at jubilee oval kogarah.the (tank) tommy ryan scored 26 tries in 1957 playing only 19 games.he ran hard and fast and and was rarely stopped.

Want to have your say? Add a comment.

Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash, Max Turner, Rugby League Tables, Jason Ganter, Andrew Ferguson, Alan Katzmann, Michael Borg, Wests Archives, Tony McCarron, Tim Costello

Sources: Fev Archive