‘Joe was very clear’: Inside the Wallabies chats that sparked rise of ‘Junkyard Dog’

Lightning Queensland Reds winger Tim Ryan has inked a two-year deal to remain at Ballymore until the end of the 2026 season, revealing that advice from Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt had kept him from the international stage this year.

It took four games for Ryan, known as “the Junkyard Dog”, not only to capture the attention of the Reds’ faithful, but land on the Wallabies’ radar.

Ryan dazzled onlookers at Suncorp Stadium with a hat-trick in his Super Rugby Pacific 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

Upon announcing the contract extension, the 20-year-old flyer revealed it was Australian head coach Schmidt’s desire for him to bulk up – rather than be thrown into the furnace – that altered his career trajectory.

Ryan, the competition’s Rookie of the Year, had been tipped for higher duties before the home series against Wales and Georgia in July.

On Monday, he said plans were in motion to allow him to reach those plateaus.

“Joe was very clear, and I had a few good chats with him. He just wanted to focus on not rushing me into things,” Ryan told this masthead.

“I’m not the biggest guy, obviously, so [he wanted me] putting on a little bit more size but keeping my speed as well. Unfortunately, I did suffer an injury at the end of the club season [syndesmosis], so that didn’t help.

“I was very happy with how this year went, and I saw the potential with what the Reds have and really wanted to build on this year to the next.”

Ryan expected to be back to full training in “two to three weeks” as he completed his rehabilitation while the Reds got back into preseason preparation.

Tim Ryan has quickly landed on the Wallabies’ radar.Credit: Getty

Boasting nine tries in nine appearances, he proved his versatility in covering outside centre during the Reds’ clashes with Wales and Tonga this year.

Ryan set up a try in the last-minute loss to the Welsh and came up with another try in the 41-14 triumph over Tonga, and believed that exposure would help evolve his game.

Wallabies star Filipo Daugunu’s return to the Reds would cause a selection headache for coach Les Kiss in his backline, but Ryan said no position was promised.

“We all had to earn our spot on that roster, so I feel like I’m only going to strive under a little bit of challenge in training,” Ryan said.

“It will be a very good challenge against these other boys, and they have plenty of experience.”

Meanwhile, the Reds were resigned to losing star back Jordan Petaia, who was recovering from a shoulder injury suffered during the Super Rugby campaign.

Petaia had reportedly been fielding offers from rival clubs and codes, such as the NFL’s International Player Pathways program and the NRL.

“Jordie’s on a pathway to some other opportunities,” Kiss said. “We’ll keep our finger on the pulse as that evolves.”

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