Tommy Ryan who turns 90 years old on Saturday is a former St George rugby league footballer who before today's bitter state rivalry played for both NSW and Queensland.
A prolific try-scoring winger, Ryan was a dual premiership-winning player with the St. George Dragons and also represented Australia and this week's big milestone birthday party at Woolooware Golf Club has been cancelled due to the current pandemic.
"I've told them all they can come to my 100th" Tommy said with a laugh.
Ryan who lives in Caringbah was born in Bingara but moved to the 'big smoke' becoming a boarder at St Josephs College Hunters Hill in Sydney, where he played Rugby Union for the First XV in 1947.
He moved to rugby league when he played for the Cronulla juniors with his brother Barry from 1949-50 and began his first-grade career with the St. George Dragons in 1951. By 1953, he had represented New South Wales against the American 'All-Stars' and was picked for the Kangaroo tour.
Ryan said, "It was a lot better game than what it is today."
"The wingers these days score fantastic acrobatic tries, but I don't like it, second rowers sitting out in the backline- I still follow it though, I can't help myself.
"Cronulla and St George should have merged."
Tommy Ryan scored 24 tries in 20 matches whilst on tour with the 1952/53 Kangaroos and played in four test matches.
Tommy made his first Grand Final appearance for the Dragons in 1953. In 1954 he played and coached in Temora before moving to Rockhampton as captain-coach in 1955 and represented Queensland before returning to the Dragons.
He played in the 1956 and 1957 St. George Grand Final victories and was the competition's leading try-scorer in 1956 with 19 tries. In 1957 he scored 26 tries in 19 matches which stood as a St. George Dragons club record until Nathan Blacklock scored 27.
He played 94 first grade games with St George up until 1958 and had scored 81 tries during that period.
"I still hold the record at St George for the number of tries in a season," Ryan said.
"I scored 26 tries in 1957, and it can't be broken because it's St George-Illawarra now. I think Nathan Blacklock, from Tingha, holds the record of 27, but that's with St George-Illawarra, so it doesn't count."
Ryan said he was fortunate, and worked at Bells Asbestos building the Oil Refinery at Kurnell. After football, he became a publican travelling around NSW to Griffith, Cobar and Taree and ran a guest house at Berrima before coming back to the Sutherland Shire.
Ryan and his wife, Anne, have been married for 65 years and have seven children and 22 grandchildren.
"We met at the Cecil Ballroom, everyone met there," Anne Ryan said
"There was no grog in those days. We went there to dance. I was 18 and Anne was 16" Tommy added
"Our children have been great, we couldn't have asked for better ones, and they will be taking shifts visiting us over this special weekend."
