Lightning Queensland Reds winger Tim Ryan has inked a two-year deal to remain at Ballymore until the end of the 2026 season.
It took four games for Ryan, known as “the Junkyard Dog”, not only to capture the attention of the Queensland Reds’ faithful, but land on the Wallabies’ radar.
Ryan dazzled onlookers at Suncorp Stadium with a hat-trick in his Super Rugby Pacific starting debut against the Blues, backing it up with another three-try effort when he took on the Melbourne Rebels.
Tim Ryan of the Reds scores a try against the Blues.Credit: Getty
The 20-year-old finished as the competition’s Rookie of the Year, and Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt admitted he had consulted Ryan about what would be required from him to feature on the international stage.
“I was pretty fresh when I first came into the Reds this season,” Ryan said.
“I feel I gained a lot of confidence and improved my position-specific skills.
“Things like my general vision in games, kicking, passing and a little more power are the type of things you want to keep working on.
“It’s very exciting to have my future at the Reds sorted and to know I’ve had a season under my belt heading towards a new year.
“Having experienced guys in the squad is really important for young guys to keep learning from.”
Ryan, who at one stage was forced to decide between rugby union and rugby league, was given a taste of the physicality the international game would bring, when Reds coach Les Kiss thrust him in at outside centre against Tonga in July.
Queensland would go on to claim a 41-14 triumph in Nuku’alofa, a clash in which he scored a try to back up his appearance in the No.13 jumper against Wales.
But his mortgage on the Reds’ flank is no longer a fait accompli, following the signing of Wallabies outside back Filipo Daugunu.
That competition is what Ryan is ready to embrace.
“The Reds have brought in guys like Lachie Anderson and Filipo Daugunu, who can play wing. That’s perfect for me. It will make me work harder in preseason because I know I’ll be fighting for a position,” Ryan said.
“Obviously, we came a long way as a team this year, but it’s always in our minds that we could have gone further. It’s something we want to build on in 2025.”
More to come
