The work being done by Dubbo CYMS coach Tim Ryan will be talked about and celebrated long into the future, club chairman Kevin Walkom feels.
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Ryan cemented his status as the club’s most successful coach when leading the Fishies to a stunning NSW Challenge Cup win on Saturday.
The victory over the much-fancied Guildford Owls was just another feather in the cap of a man who has guided the side to five successive Group 11 grand finals and three premierships in that time.
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“H’es taken the club well and truly into the new century,” Walkom said.
“What Tim Ryan is doing now will reverberate into the club well and truly into the next generation.
“All those kids who were running around and watching on Saturday, they will remember that for years to come.”
A reserved figure who is as quietly spoken on gameday as he is with the media, Ryan has been hailed for his work as a “coach, mentor and communicator”.
The win on Saturday, as well as the fact CYMS sits unbeaten at the top of the Group 11 ladder after nine rounds, continues a stellar season after Ryan took control of the Western Rams under 23s side earlier in the year.
“I call this the Tim Ryan era,” Walkom said.
“Tim was our captain-coach in 2004 and then he’s gone on to coach and he’s the most successful non-playing coach and most successful coach in CYMS’ history.”
What Tim Ryan is doing now will reverberate into the club well and truly into the next generation.
- Kevin Walkom
Walkom likened the success of recent years to that of the late 1960s and early 1970s when Ken McMullen took over. McMullen coached the side to its maiden first grade title and set in place much of the professionalism which remains today.
McMullen’s time in charge, including when all three grades won premierships in 1971, remains one of the clu’s greatest achievements but Ryan has taken it to another level, with Walkom saying CYMS has gone from “adolescence to adulthood” under his leadership.
Player development has been one of the hallmarks of Ryan’s time in charge.
A number of players in recent times, either club juniors or recruits from elsewhere, have improved under Ryan and that latest in that long line starred on the weekend.
Teenage halfback Bayden Searle was instrumental on both Saturday and Sunday and he had nothing but praise for his coach when talking after the NSW Challenge Cup victory.
“He’s a great coach and makes it 10 times easier out there,” Searle said.
“It’s easy to run around when you’ve got such a refined game plan.”
While stating he has no reason to believe Ryan would be leaving the club any time soon. Walkom stated he would never stand in the way of the club legend if he wished to pursue his coaching career at a higher level.
“If he’s got aspirations to go at a higher level then I fully support him because he’s got a lot to offer the game,” Walkom said.
“The talent he has as coach will benefit the game wherever he is.”
Ryan remains on track for another minor premiership this year with Dubbo CYMS currently four points clear at the top of the ladder but Walkom was adamant there’s a lot of rugby league left in the season.
CYMS faces another test this weekend when it plays host to the in-form Forbes Magpies.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
