But the 20-year-old continued to press a compelling case in the Queensland Reds’ 59-13 demolition of the Western Force,as the winger produced yet another attacking masterclass.
Tim Ryan of the Reds breaks away from the defence.
Ryan has captured the attention of Australian rugby since he burst onto the scene with a hat-trick against the Blues,and he replicated that effort against their hapless rivals on Saturday.
His heroics against the Kiwi juggernaut and the sight of the rookie flying over the top of Force winger Ronan Leahy no doubt would have caught the eye again.
A pinpoint crossfield kick from the base of the ruck by Reds’ halfback Tate McDermott at close range was completed with Ryan’s aerial finish,but the best was yet to come.
After a loose ball from the Force at the breakdown was swooped on by the Reds,fullback Jock Campbell created the overlap to put his lightning winger away for his second of the night,before Ryan then latched onto a well-weight James O’Connor pass late in the clash to score the second hat-trick of his fledging career.
He now stands as Queensland’s leading try-scorer for the campaign[nine] - edging past hooker Matthew Faessler,who crossed from close range in the second stanza - and equal second in the competition.
So impressive has his rise been,Reds co-captain Liam Wright saw similarities in Ryan’s game with that of former Churchie rugby star-turned NRL Dally M Medal winner Kalyn Ponga.
“A little bit,it’s just exciting the way he goes to war there and the tight stuff,he’s good under the high ball,he’s fast and he can finish. There are good comparisons there,except he stayed in rugby,” Wright said.
“He’s a real finisher,puts himself into the space,works hard to get there,he’s fast too,so it’s really nice to have.
“He’s a great player,he’s a great young man,and he’s definitely not getting too far ahead of himself which is key.”
He and fellow winger Mac Grealy constantly threatened,both looming on opposite sides - the latter finishing with 81 running metres,two linebreaks and a try assist for Campbell.
Suliasi Vunivalu may find it difficult forcing his way back into the team when he returns from suspension against the Waratahs next week - and that could even translate to the Wallabies’ jersey he donned during the World Cup.
LYNAGH SHINES ON COMEBACK
Tom Lynagh may have been considered a brave man to have pondered a Wallabies call up,but the prodigal son has given his shock chances a timely boost.
In his first outing on the comeback trail from a minor hamstring concern,the rookie five-eighth combined with McDermott to mastermind the side’s attack at Suncorp Stadium.
Tom Lynagh has demonstrated a level of composure and courageous decision-making beyond his years.Getty
While he has not brought the same enigmatic flair to the No.10 jumper as the likes of Quade Cooper and O’Connor before him,the son of Test great Michael Lynagh has demonstrated a level of composure and courageous decision-making beyond his years.
Lynagh’s booming kicking game kept the Force back three - headlined by former Wallabies star Kurtley Beale - pinned deep in their own end early,providing the platform for a Reds’ forward pack led by a rampant,try-scoring Seru Uru to thrive.
It was a task made easier for the engine room when Force No.8 Reed Prinsep was shown a yellow card when his shoulder came into contact with Liam Wright’s head 58-minutes in,as Fraser McReight scored seconds later.
The Queensland flanker crossed his second shortly after in a performance which garnered the Frank Ivory Medal for man of the match,as an elusive linebreak from outside centre Josh Flook - celebrating his 50th game for the Reds - kept the procession rolling.
But it was Lynagh’s willingness to run the football and dig deep into the defensive line that showcased perhaps the biggest growth in his game this year.
The 21-year-old’s teammates have spoken of his developing voice and confidence on the field,but it was on Saturday night where he demonstrated his bravery taking on the Force defence and opening up space for his backline to shine.
He took many a hit for his troubles,at one stage receiving treatment as blood poured from his forehead,but he kept bouncing back and added five goals for good measure.
Having outgunned seven-Test Wallaby Ben Donaldson at Suncorp Stadium,Lynagh’s partnership with inside centre Hunter Paisami - who appears destined to return to the international fold - and McDermott could strengthen his cause in Schmidt’s eyes when Wales tour Australia in July.
BEALE’S CHANCES TAKE A DIVE
deep into the season,however his performance in Brisbane may have hindered his prospects.
As the Australian brand seeks to emerge from a woeful 2023 and pave a way for the future,Schmidt could well look to reinvention.
Beale,35,has long been a strong contributor in the green and gold jumper in 95 Tests,but was outgunned by Reds fullback Campbell in the year’s penultimate fixture.
The veteran showed promising early touches that suggest the old spark is well and truly there,after his return in round nine coincided with the Force’s charge back into finals contention on the back of three wins from his five games heading into the Reds’ defeat.
But Beale was kept well contained by his Queensland counterparts,with Campbell by contrast finishing with a try,try assist and 83m.
Despite that,Force coach Simon Cron expressed his hope Beale would remain in the west next season.
“We’ve got to have a good yarn with Kurtley and make sure it’s right for him and his family. They just had a baby on Wednesday,so it’s a bit of a juggling act to get your time with KB right now,” Cron said.
“He’s had a big week,but we’ll sit down away from the lights and have a good yarn.”
Brumbies star Tom Wright looks set to be the favourite to claim the coveted green and gold No.15,his two-try performance in his side’s 53-17 win over the Rebels on Friday taking him inside the competition’s top 10 for tries[9],defenders beaten[42],clean breaks[11] and metres gained[973,top of the competition].
But Campbell has added his name to the mix since Petaia’s season-ending shoulder injury ensured he had a mortgage on the Reds’ job,and his one-on-one triumph of Beale no doubt has strengthened his cause.
CAN THE REDS GET IT DONE?
Queensland’s win secures them fifth place come finals time,likely putting them on a collision course with the Chiefs in New Zealand.
The Reds defeated the Chiefs across the ditch just last year,before succumbing to them in the corresponding sudden-death clash last year,but will look to use their final fixture against the Waratahs to ensure they are raring for revenge.
Coming off the back of a frustrating defeat to the Fijian Drua,Kiss stressed that while some team changes may come in anticipation for the business end of the year,they would not seek to field a weakened team against New South Wales.
Given the likes of Petaia and Harry Wilson will miss their premiership tilt,building continuity could be the difference between a deep charge or a quick finals exit.
“The last two weeks we did balance our side out a little bit,no teams have come back from Fiji and won their next game,so that’s a big plus,” Kiss said.
“We had a plan there,and that came to fruition. We’re talking with the coaches about next week,you do think about those things,and we don’t want to take the foot off.
“We’ve got to have a good go on it[against the Waratahs],but some guys do deserve a chance as well,and some guys have still got some niggles,so we’ll make some decisions early in the week.
“We’ll see,we’ve got some options.”