Jamie Lyon
Encyclopedia
Jamie Lyon is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer who currently captains for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
of the National Rugby League
. An Australian international
and New South Wales State of Origin
representative goal-kicking centre, he played his first club football for the Parramatta Eels
before joining Super League
with English club St. Helens, with whom he won the 2006 Championship and Challenge Cup titles. Lyon then returned to the NRL with Manly-Warringah, winning the 2008 and 2011
NRL Premierships with them.
in north-central New South Wales
and growing up in Wee Waa, New South Wales, he played junior rugby league for the Wee Waa Panthers. Selected to play for the Australian Schoolboys
team,while attending Parramatta Marist High School
he was part of the 1999 squad who went undefeated in their tour of France, Ireland and England. Parramatta Eels
's club development officer at the time, Noel Cleal
, saw potential in the young centre and managed to lure Lyon to sign with the Sydney club.
.
In 2001, Lyon found himself regularly in the run-on squad. By season's end Parramatta took out the J. J. Giltinan Shield as the minor premiers
thanks in part to Lyon's 11 tries. After defeating the New Zealand Warriors
and the Brisbane Broncos
in the qualifying and preliminary finals respectively, Parramatta fell just short of becoming premiers losing to the Newcastle Knights
in Grand Final, with Lyon scoring two tries. At the end of the 2001 NRL season, Lyon became the 697th player to represent Australia when he made his national representative début in the test match at Lloyd Robson Oval
, Port Moresby
against Papua New Guinea
where scored two tries off the bench. Later that year, he became the youngest-ever Kangaroo tourist when he was selected for the 2001 Kangaroo Tour
.
The start of the 2002 NRL season started off well for Lyon, and he made his New South Wales Blues
début in Game I of the 2002 State of Origin series, scoring a try in 32–4 points victory. He played again in Game II of the series however an ankle injury that was sustained in the Eels round 14 match against the defending premiers, found Lyon out for the remainder of the season. In June 2002, he extended his contract with the Parramatta club until the end of 2006 at around $250,000 per season.
He made his return in Round 1 of the 2003 NRL season. Starting off well again, he scored four tries in four games. That year, he played in all three games for the Blues in their 2–1 2003 State of Origin series victory. A hamstring injury though saw Lyon again on sideline. However, he recovered and in round 24, he set the club record for the most tries in first grade match when he ran in 5 in Parramatta's 74–4 defeat of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, helping the Eels set their highest ever score and largest ever winning margin in process. But this was not enough for the Eels as they just missed the finals for the first time since 1996, and for the first time in Brian Smith
's time at the club.
During his time at Parramatta, Lyon had received several club awards including the Jack Gibson Award in 2001 awarded by the first grade coach, the Ron Lynch Media Award in 2003, the Members People Choice Award in 2003 and, along with Matthew Petersen
, was jointly awarded the Murray Wilson Try Scoring Award as the top try scorers for the club in the 2003 NRL season.
Lyon made headlines when on 15 March 2004, after four seasons, 70 games and at the age of just 22, announced that he was retiring from Parramatta and the NRL. He did so just two days after Parramatta's round one 48–14 loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs
and without talking to his team mates. He had around two years remaining on his contract.
In reaction to the announcement, fellow country players Justin Hodges
and David Peachey
publicly supported his decision. With both players themselves taking breaks from the game, Hodges was quoted as saying that "footy does get a hold on you and it does get you down sometimes. People say it's the life but sometimes there's more bad than good. He's [Lyon] only 22 and he's from the country so it's pretty hard living in a big city like this. Even I struggled."
Terry Hill
added to the controversy when at the press conference to announce his own retirement, he predicted more young players would take Lyon's lead and leave the top grade.
However, six weeks later on 4 June 2004, the Eels conceded and granted the clearance under the condition that Lyon could not play for another club in the NRL. Lyon agreed to the condition and signed a supplemental agreement to play with the Country Rugby League Group Four
club up until the end of 2006. He proved to be a worthy asset as the Panthers defeated the Moree Boars in the grand final.
, the Gold Coast Dolphins
(as they originally were going to be named), the Canberra Raiders
and the Sea-eagles, Lyon on 17 August 2004, signed with European Super League
club St. Helens on a two year deal. The club outlayed $150,000 to clear Lyon of his existing contract as well as $600,000 over the two seasons.
Lyon made his début for the Saints on 11 February 2005 against the Widnes Vikings
at Knowsley Road
. After a delayed start due to crowd congestion, Lyon set up two tries in the 40–18 win. He scored his first try for the 116 year old club in the round 5 clash against the Salford City Reds
and in the following round against the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
kicked six goals from seven attempts.
Lyon's performance for the Saints received praise from both the media and the fans. He was twice voted as the Super League Player of the Month by the readers of the British rugby league publication Rugby Leaguer and League Express. For rounds 13 to 16 he received 42 percent of the vote and for round 17 to 20 he increased his share to 67.5 percent of the vote.
By seasons end, he had amassed 22 tries and 42 goals for a total 172 points; became only the fourth non-British player to be presented with the Man of Steel Award; was named the Rugby League Players Association Players' Player of the Year; and was named as part of the media selected 2005 Super League Dream Team
.
In 2006, Lyon became the Saints number one goal kicker with captain Paul Sculthorpe
reduced to replacement kicker. He was instrumental for the Saints as they won both the 2006 Super League Grand Final and the Rugby League Challenge Cup
. In addition to the 88 points scored in the Challenge Cup, he almost doubled his 2005 premiership points tally with 328. As a result, he was once again selected as part of Super League Dream Team.
On 2 October 2006, the squad for the 2006 Tri-Nations tournament
was announced with Lyon being a surprise inclusion. In reaction to his selection, Parramatta legend Peter Sterling
had at the time criticised Lyon, saying that he should not even be allowed in the NRL
claiming that Lyon took $125,000 for playing only a handful of games in 2004 and considering Lyon as "lacking class". Lyon retorted that he did "not look up to Sterlo" and that the comments "would not worry" him. Lyon played in only one match during the series, Australia's first match against Great Britain
where Australia went down 23–12. Australia ended up winning the series defeating New Zealand
in the final.
After a great pre-season, he made his début for Manly on 17 March 2007 against the Canberra Raiders
where he scored two tries and kicked three goals. Initially playing in the centres, the return of Steve Matai
saw Lyon move into the Stand-off/five-eighth role.
Round 9 saw Manly at home to Parramatta and the first time Lyon played against old club, however Parramatta played down the significance. Lyon showed no mercy as he scored early in second half to help steer Manly to victory.
Since Lyon's return to the NRL has played in the 2007 ANZAC Test against New Zealand and Games I and II of the 2007 State of Origin series
.
He played in the 2007 NRL grand final defeat to the Melbourne Storm
.
He played in the 2008 NRL Grand Final victory over the Melbourne Storm
, kicking two goals. In the 2010 season, he was appointed co-captain of Manly.
Lyon switched between centre and five-eight in the 2009 season, in the later games played in the centres to make way for young Kieran Foran
. After representative exile, he was selected for Country in the City vs Country
match on 8 May 2009. He was then named in the 17 man squad to represent New South Wales in the opening match of the 2009 State of Origin series, in Melbourne.
With the departure of captain Matt Orford
to the Bradford Bulls
in the English Super League at the conclusion of the 2009 season, Lyon was named co-captain alongside Manly stalwart Jason King
. Since being appointed co-captaincy and making a permenant move to right centre position, Lyon has been in arguably career-best form, reflected by being named Dally M
Centre of the Year in both 2010 and 2011. Lyon has also been an almost automatic selection for both NSW and Australia, however he has sought exemption from representative duties on most occasions, citing family reasons.
Lyon also played in the 2010 ANZAC test
vs New Zealand, scoring two goals and for Game 1 of the 2010 State of Origin series
.
Lyon captained the Manly Sea Eagles from his position at centre in the 2011 NRL grand final
, scoring a try in the win over the New Zealand Warriors
.
On 3 November 2011 The annual RLIF Awards
dinner was held at the Tower of London
and Lyon was named centre three-quarter back of the year.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer who currently captains for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
. An Australian international
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
and New South Wales State of Origin
State of Origin
State of Origin is the name used in Australia for one existing sporting event which involves domestic representative teams. The term, when used in isolation, usually refers to rugby league football, and occassionally Australian Football matches, in which players are selected for the Australian...
representative goal-kicking centre, he played his first club football for the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
before joining Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
with English club St. Helens, with whom he won the 2006 Championship and Challenge Cup titles. Lyon then returned to the NRL with Manly-Warringah, winning the 2008 and 2011
2011 NRL season
The 2011 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the fourteenth run by the National Rugby League. The NRL's main championship, called the 2011 Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship from Telstra, was contested by sixteen teams for the...
NRL Premierships with them.
Biography
Born in NarrabriNarrabri, New South Wales
Narrabri is a town and seat of Narrabri Shire Council Local Government Area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales, Australia. Narrabri is situated on the Namoi River and lies northwest of Sydney. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway and the Newell Highway...
in north-central New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and growing up in Wee Waa, New South Wales, he played junior rugby league for the Wee Waa Panthers. Selected to play for the Australian Schoolboys
Australian schoolboys
The Australian Schoolboys refer to junior teams that represent Australia in various sports. The name is mainly used in rugby league, rugby union and baseball...
team,while attending Parramatta Marist High School
Parramatta Marist High School
Parramatta Marist High School is the oldest Catholic school in Australia.Parramatta Marist began as a school established by Father John Therry in 1820, under the direction of Mr George Morley. The school was transferred to the site of the present Cathedral in 1837 and entrusted to the care of the...
he was part of the 1999 squad who went undefeated in their tour of France, Ireland and England. Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
's club development officer at the time, Noel Cleal
Noel Cleal
Noel Harvey "Crusher" Cleal is an Australian former rugby league footballer who also had a successful coaching career...
, saw potential in the young centre and managed to lure Lyon to sign with the Sydney club.
Paramatta
Lyon made his NRL début coming off the bench in the Eels' round 21 clash against the newly merged West Tigers on 25 June 2000 becoming the 622nd first grader for Parramatta in the process. He scored his first try just three rounds later and he finished his début season with a try in Parramatta's 32–24 defeat of the St George Illawarra DragonsSt George Illawarra Dragons
The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the...
.
In 2001, Lyon found himself regularly in the run-on squad. By season's end Parramatta took out the J. J. Giltinan Shield as the minor premiers
Minor premiership
A minor premiership is the name of the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the playoffs....
thanks in part to Lyon's 11 tries. After defeating the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
and the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
in the qualifying and preliminary finals respectively, Parramatta fell just short of becoming premiers losing to the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
in Grand Final, with Lyon scoring two tries. At the end of the 2001 NRL season, Lyon became the 697th player to represent Australia when he made his national representative début in the test match at Lloyd Robson Oval
Lloyd Robson Oval
Lloyd Robson Oval is a sporting ground in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. It hosted 3 games for the 1989 - 1992 Rugby League World Cup. It has been the home ground for the Papua New Guinea national rugby league team since 1982. It has a total capacity of just over 10,000 people.Llyod Robson Oval...
, Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
against Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
where scored two tries off the bench. Later that year, he became the youngest-ever Kangaroo tourist when he was selected for the 2001 Kangaroo Tour
2001 Kangaroo Tour
The 2001 Kangaroo Tour was almost abandoned due to the events of September 11, 2001. The tour was initially cancelled by the ARL but after strong public opinion in both Great Britain and Australia, it went ahead, though the only games played were the three tests, marking the first Kangaroo Tour to...
.
The start of the 2002 NRL season started off well for Lyon, and he made his New South Wales Blues
New South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
début in Game I of the 2002 State of Origin series, scoring a try in 32–4 points victory. He played again in Game II of the series however an ankle injury that was sustained in the Eels round 14 match against the defending premiers, found Lyon out for the remainder of the season. In June 2002, he extended his contract with the Parramatta club until the end of 2006 at around $250,000 per season.
He made his return in Round 1 of the 2003 NRL season. Starting off well again, he scored four tries in four games. That year, he played in all three games for the Blues in their 2–1 2003 State of Origin series victory. A hamstring injury though saw Lyon again on sideline. However, he recovered and in round 24, he set the club record for the most tries in first grade match when he ran in 5 in Parramatta's 74–4 defeat of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, helping the Eels set their highest ever score and largest ever winning margin in process. But this was not enough for the Eels as they just missed the finals for the first time since 1996, and for the first time in Brian Smith
Brian Smith (rugby league)
Brian Smith is an Australian coach and former player of rugby league football. He is the current head coach at the Sydney Roosters of the NRL. Smith played for St. George and South Sydney Rabbitohs , appearing in a total of 31 first grade games...
's time at the club.
During his time at Parramatta, Lyon had received several club awards including the Jack Gibson Award in 2001 awarded by the first grade coach, the Ron Lynch Media Award in 2003, the Members People Choice Award in 2003 and, along with Matthew Petersen
Matthew Petersen
Matthew Andrew Petersen is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the Super League competition...
, was jointly awarded the Murray Wilson Try Scoring Award as the top try scorers for the club in the 2003 NRL season.
Lyon made headlines when on 15 March 2004, after four seasons, 70 games and at the age of just 22, announced that he was retiring from Parramatta and the NRL. He did so just two days after Parramatta's round one 48–14 loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
and without talking to his team mates. He had around two years remaining on his contract.
In reaction to the announcement, fellow country players Justin Hodges
Justin Hodges
Justin Hodges is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League...
and David Peachey
David Peachey
David Peachey is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative fullback, he played the majority of his club football in the National Rugby League for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks...
publicly supported his decision. With both players themselves taking breaks from the game, Hodges was quoted as saying that "footy does get a hold on you and it does get you down sometimes. People say it's the life but sometimes there's more bad than good. He's [Lyon] only 22 and he's from the country so it's pretty hard living in a big city like this. Even I struggled."
Terry Hill
Terry Hill
Terry Hill is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played in the National Rugby League competition primarily in the centres...
added to the controversy when at the press conference to announce his own retirement, he predicted more young players would take Lyon's lead and leave the top grade.
Return to Country NSW
On 9 April 2004, Lyon's manager Alan Gainey announced that Lyon was seeking a clearance to return to his junior club – the Wee Waa Panthers. On 14 April 2004, one month after he walked out, Lyon and Gainey meet with Parramatta officials for two hours to determine Lyon's future. The following day, it was announced this that his pay would be suspended and that the initial Wee Waa offer was rejected.However, six weeks later on 4 June 2004, the Eels conceded and granted the clearance under the condition that Lyon could not play for another club in the NRL. Lyon agreed to the condition and signed a supplemental agreement to play with the Country Rugby League Group Four
Group 4 Rugby League
Group 4 is a rugby league competition in the New England and north west area of New South Wales, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League.-Structure:...
club up until the end of 2006. He proved to be a worthy asset as the Panthers defeated the Moree Boars in the grand final.
St. Helens
After bids from the Penrith PanthersPenrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
, the Gold Coast Dolphins
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
(as they originally were going to be named), the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
and the Sea-eagles, Lyon on 17 August 2004, signed with European Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
club St. Helens on a two year deal. The club outlayed $150,000 to clear Lyon of his existing contract as well as $600,000 over the two seasons.
Lyon made his début for the Saints on 11 February 2005 against the Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
at Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves...
. After a delayed start due to crowd congestion, Lyon set up two tries in the 40–18 win. He scored his first try for the 116 year old club in the round 5 clash against the Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
and in the following round against the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
kicked six goals from seven attempts.
Lyon's performance for the Saints received praise from both the media and the fans. He was twice voted as the Super League Player of the Month by the readers of the British rugby league publication Rugby Leaguer and League Express. For rounds 13 to 16 he received 42 percent of the vote and for round 17 to 20 he increased his share to 67.5 percent of the vote.
By seasons end, he had amassed 22 tries and 42 goals for a total 172 points; became only the fourth non-British player to be presented with the Man of Steel Award; was named the Rugby League Players Association Players' Player of the Year; and was named as part of the media selected 2005 Super League Dream Team
Super League Dream Team
The Super League Dream Team is an award given each season to the players deemed to have been the best in their position in the Super League by a panel of journalists and broadcasters....
.
In 2006, Lyon became the Saints number one goal kicker with captain Paul Sculthorpe
Paul Sculthorpe
Paul Sculthorpe , is an English retired rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A Great Britain international representative /, and /, he played club football for St. Helens, with whom he won a total of four Grand Finals, three Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges...
reduced to replacement kicker. He was instrumental for the Saints as they won both the 2006 Super League Grand Final and the Rugby League Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
. In addition to the 88 points scored in the Challenge Cup, he almost doubled his 2005 premiership points tally with 328. As a result, he was once again selected as part of Super League Dream Team.
Manly-Warringah
In March 2006, Lyon made contact with Parramatta with the intent of returning to his old club in 2007. In early May, it seemed certain that Lyon was about to sign the Eels, but in June the deal went sour and other offers came in from Penrith and Newcastle. In the end Manly won out when on 5 July 2006, 5 days after the anti-tampering deadline it was announced that Lyon had signed a four year deal with the Brookvale based club. The determining factor was Noel Cleal, the club's recruitment officer.On 2 October 2006, the squad for the 2006 Tri-Nations tournament
2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations
The 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations was hosted for the second time by Australia and New Zealand. Sponsored by Gillette the tournament followed the same format as in 2004 and 2005, with each team meeting the other two teams twice, and the top two teams at the end of the group stages proceeding to the...
was announced with Lyon being a surprise inclusion. In reaction to his selection, Parramatta legend Peter Sterling
Peter Sterling
Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...
had at the time criticised Lyon, saying that he should not even be allowed in the NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
claiming that Lyon took $125,000 for playing only a handful of games in 2004 and considering Lyon as "lacking class". Lyon retorted that he did "not look up to Sterlo" and that the comments "would not worry" him. Lyon played in only one match during the series, Australia's first match against Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
where Australia went down 23–12. Australia ended up winning the series defeating New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
in the final.
After a great pre-season, he made his début for Manly on 17 March 2007 against the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
where he scored two tries and kicked three goals. Initially playing in the centres, the return of Steve Matai
Steve Matai
Stephen "Steve" Matai is a professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League. He plays as a centre. He is a New Zealand international of Samoan Heritage...
saw Lyon move into the Stand-off/five-eighth role.
Round 9 saw Manly at home to Parramatta and the first time Lyon played against old club, however Parramatta played down the significance. Lyon showed no mercy as he scored early in second half to help steer Manly to victory.
Since Lyon's return to the NRL has played in the 2007 ANZAC Test against New Zealand and Games I and II of the 2007 State of Origin series
2007 Rugby League State of Origin series
The 2007 State of Origin series was the 26th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules. Queensland won the series by winning the...
.
He played in the 2007 NRL grand final defeat to the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
.
He played in the 2008 NRL Grand Final victory over the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
, kicking two goals. In the 2010 season, he was appointed co-captain of Manly.
Lyon switched between centre and five-eight in the 2009 season, in the later games played in the centres to make way for young Kieran Foran
Kieran Foran
Kieran Foran is a New Zealand rugby league player who has represented his country. He currently plays for the Manly Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He plays as a five-eighth or half-back though he can also play centre...
. After representative exile, he was selected for Country in the City vs Country
City vs Country Origin
City vs Country is an annual Australian rugby league football match that takes place in New South Wales between City and Country representative sides. The City side represents the Sydney metropolitan area...
match on 8 May 2009. He was then named in the 17 man squad to represent New South Wales in the opening match of the 2009 State of Origin series, in Melbourne.
With the departure of captain Matt Orford
Matt Orford
Matthew Orford is an Australian professional rugby league player, last playing for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League competition...
to the Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
in the English Super League at the conclusion of the 2009 season, Lyon was named co-captain alongside Manly stalwart Jason King
Jason King
Jason King may refer to:* Jason King , cultural critic and musician* Jason King , British television programme* Jason King , ice hockey player* Jason King , British radio DJ...
. Since being appointed co-captaincy and making a permenant move to right centre position, Lyon has been in arguably career-best form, reflected by being named Dally M
Dally M Awards
The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League competition. The most prestigious of these awards is the Dally M Medal which is only ever awarded to Australian born Players...
Centre of the Year in both 2010 and 2011. Lyon has also been an almost automatic selection for both NSW and Australia, however he has sought exemption from representative duties on most occasions, citing family reasons.
Lyon also played in the 2010 ANZAC test
2010 ANZAC Test
The 2010 ANZAC Test was a rugby league test match played between Australia and New Zealand on 7 May 2010. The match coincided with the official opening of AAMI Park in Melbourne. The match was won by Australia with a score of 12–8.-The teams:...
vs New Zealand, scoring two goals and for Game 1 of the 2010 State of Origin series
2010 State of Origin series
The 2010 State of Origin series was the 29th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules...
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Lyon captained the Manly Sea Eagles from his position at centre in the 2011 NRL grand final
2011 NRL Grand Final
The 2011 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the NRL's 2011 Telstra Premiership season. It was played between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the New Zealand Warriors on the afternoon of Sunday, 2 October, and it was the first time the two sides have met in a...
, scoring a try in the win over the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
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On 3 November 2011 The annual RLIF Awards
RLIF Awards
The Rugby League International Federation currently oversees and awards the major international sporting award for rugby league on an annual basis and has done so since its inception in 2004....
dinner was held at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and Lyon was named centre three-quarter back of the year.