Every dog has its day - or so the saying goes - but Tim Ryan seemed to have more than his fair share in 2024.
A talented but unassuming age-grade and clubland winger through 2023, Ryan last year went from relative unknown to Queensland's latest cult hero with nine Super Rugby Pacific tries in less than a calendar month.
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Hat-trick performances against the Blues and Force have already enshrined the "Junkyard Dog" in Reds folklore but Ryan, 21, now faces a far greater challenge in 2025 - backing up the hype.
"Compared to this time last year, I'm more confident but definitely aware that I do have that expectation on me now," Ryan told rugby.com.au.
"It's funny looking back. I probably only got my first rep game around year 11 or 12, might've went to a few trials and didn't get picked. I didn't start getting real serious or thought I could be a professional until I was out of school playing Colts.
"But yeah, it's another year in the system and I'm more comfortable with the boys so definitely more confident. I guess I've just got to hit the reset button, take the confidence built last year and use that to get better."
After finishing the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season with six starts from nine appearances, Ryan enjoyed his first taste of the national set-up rehabbing alongside Joe Schmidt's satellite Wallabies camp and touring Tonga and the UK.
Wing isn't the only string to his bow either with the St Pats' product starting in the midfield against Wales and the Ikale Tahi but Reds coach Les Kiss has shelved the centre experiment for now in naming Ryan to start on his familiar xxx wing against Moana Pasifika this Friday.
"I've been training on the wing mostly this pre-season but you can find yourself in any position during a game, right," Ryan said.
"As a kid, I loved watching Digby Ioane play - he was such an exciting player to watch - and I just loved the way scored tries, did his dance moves and how he got involved from the wing
"That's something Les is big, having your wingers involved, so I've still got a lot of learning to do but I can see myself getting better and being useful across the backline.
"Ando and Lipo have been very good for me since coming up. It's always good to talk to them about positioning and ask for advice because they're a lot more experienced but the environment here is still very competitive - everyone's pushing each other to earn their and no jersey is promised."
Kiss admitted the Reds' wing selections were among his "toughest propositions" but backed Ryan ahead of a mouth-watering match-up with breakout Moana star Kyron Taumoefolau.
"Tim scored two tries, took his opportunities and set one up against Ulster. We know he's a physical beast and they're pretty physical Moana so he'll need to bring it that's for sure," Kiss told reporters.
"He had that slight injury where he missed the Japanese tour and Australia XV but he's worked hard on that and it's not lost on me that he's a good young man with a big future.
"He's an exciting wing talent up against Kyron who's a beautiful young winger scoring some exciting tries, so that in it's own right is going to be something to see."
