Ryan Millard

Ryan Millard (born 13 March 1987) is an Australian-born Fijian rugby league footballer who plays for the Wests Magpies in the New South Wales Cup. He plays as a five-eighth or fullback, and can also play as a centre or on the wing. He is a Fijia international.[1]

Millard scoring a try for the Bulldogs

Ryan Millard
Personal information
Born (1987-03-13) 13 March 1987
Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia
Height179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight85 kg (13 st 5 lb)
Playing information
PositionFive-eighth, Halfback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2014 Rochdale Hornets 22 12 0 0 48
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2009–15 Fiji 5 0 0 0 0

Background

Millard was born in Hurstville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is the younger brother of Daryl Millard.

Biography

His elder brother Daryl Millard plays for South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Australian National Rugby League and is also a Fijian international.[2] Their father, Shane Millard, is the assistant coach of the Australian Fijian team. Shane is a former reserve-grade coach for the St George Dragons and also coached the USA Tomahawks.[3][4][5] There is no relation between the family and journeyman Australian-born former USA international hooker and second-row Shane Millard, although this is sometimes reported as the case.[3][6]

Career
Millard in action for the Bullodgs

Domestic

Ryan Millard played junior rugby league for Renown United[7] and previously played in the youth teams at the St. George Illawarra Dragons, playing in the Jersey Flegg and SG Ball sides for the Dragons.[8][9] He failed to make first grade with St. George Illawarra and moved with his brother to the Bulldogs for the 2007 season.[10] He played in the New South Wales Cup for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2008 and for the Newtown Jets in 2009.[11][12] For the 2010 season he moved to the Shellharbour City Dragons, the New South Wales Cup team that act as a feeder club to the NRL club St. George Illawarra Dragons.[13]

International

Millard played for Fiji against the Junior Kangaroos in a narrow 15–14 loss in 2007.[14][15] He was not selected in either the wider training squad[16][17] nor the final 25-man Fiji squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[18] He made his full international debut for Fiji in the 2009 Pacific Cup.[2] Millard has also represented the Australian Fijian team[3][19][20] and was named Australian Fijian Fiji Bati Player of the Year for 2009.[21] Millard is eligible to play for Fiji as he has a Fijian mother.[22]

He was a late call-up to Fiji's 2013 Rugby League World Cup squad after John Sutton was ruled out before the tournament.[23]

Following the 2013 Rugby League World Cup Millard followed in the footsteps of other Fijians and was signed by Hornets CEO Ryan Bradley for Rochdale Hornets[24]

On 2 May 2015, Ryan played for Fiji in the Melanesian Cup test-match.

References
  1. "PNG and Fiji finalise squads for Pacific Cup". National Rugby League. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  2. "Millard eyes Bati". Fiji Times. 3 January 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  3. "Daryl Neville, Joel Greig and Shane Millard confirmed as AFRL Coaches". Australian Fijian Rugby League. 10 March 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  4. "National Team Committee". AMNRL. 2003. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  5. Brown, Alex (12 September 2006). "Dragons ball boy now carrying his side's hopes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  6. "USA Tomahawks ready to take on Samoa". RLCup. 29 October 2007. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  7. "Ryan Millard". NSWRL. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  8. "NRL finals teams". The Daily Telegraph. London. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  9. "BULLDOGS BACK TO THE 'FAMILY CLUB'". rleague.com. 27 July 2006. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  10. "NRL News". NRL Club Analysis. 24 August 2006. Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  11. "AUSTRALIAN FIJI SQUAD FOR CABRAMATTA WORLD NINES". rleague.com. 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  12. "Shellharbour City Dragons". NSWRL. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  13. "Junior Kangaroos pip past Fiji". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 October 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  14. "Fiji scare junior Kangaroos". League Central. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  15. "Bati pencil in new Newcastle pace ace Uate". Fiji Times Online. 1 August 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  16. "Fijian preliminary squad". RLWC08.com. 6 August 2008. Archived from the original on 10 August 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  17. "Samoa, Tonga and Fiji name squads". BBC. 8 October 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  18. "Waqa to lead Australian Fijians on tour". FijiLive. 27 September 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  19. "Comeback win against Fiji for the Cook Islands" (PDF). Rugby League Review. October 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  20. "Hayne PC Medal to 2009 awards list". rleague.com. 3 February 2010. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  21. "Millard intends to make most of his second coming". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  22. "Fijivillage".
  23. "Championship One: Rochdale sign Fiji international playmaker Ryan Millard | Sky Sports". www1.skysports.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014.
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