First game 6/10/1945, Last game 8/03/1958, Played 372 Tries 38 Points 114.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Second-row Bob Ryan is the only Warrington forward to have played in three Championship-winning teams for the club, the title triumphs of 1948, 1954 and 1955.

What is more Australian legend Harry Bath, who played alongside him in the last two victories, rated him as the best second-row he ever played with.

At 5ft 9in and 13st 10lb, Ryan was not a big man in stature but in every other respect he was a giant with an abundance of strength and stamina, qualities that earned him five Great Britain caps, two England caps and four appearances for Lancashire.

Ryan was a Wiganer who learned his rugby at school and with the Platt Lane and Ince Rovers junior clubs. In 1945, he duly reported to Central Park and played half a trial game.

The Wigan chairman told him to get changed and that he would be down later to see him. Ryan waited and waited until his patience ran out and he went home.

He was then invited to play trials at Warrington and was quickly signed up as an “amateur” for a fee of 10s per match. He completed his professional forms during the first post-war season.

Ryan was a cornerstone of the Warrington team who won the Championship for the first time in 1947-48, beating Bradford Northern in the final at Maine Road.

After breaking a leg in August 1948, he returned fit and refreshed in 1949-50 and helped Warrington reach Wembley for the first time in 14 years. Unfortunately, Ryan and team-mate Jim Featherstone had to miss the final against Widnes because they were with the Great Britain party heading for Australia and New Zealand by ship. All future tourists travelled by plane.

In Australia, Ryan played in the first Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground which Great Britain won 6-4. Surprisingly, he was left out of the next two Tests, both of which Australia won to regain the Ashes after 30 years.

Vic Hey, the Australia coach, said that leaving Ryan out of those two games cost the Lions the series.

Back in England, Ryan was a major player in Warrington’s best ever season, the unforgettable 1953-54 campaign when they achieved the league and cup double.

Now playing at loose-forward, Ryan at last got to play at Wembley in the drawn Challenge Cup final against Halifax. Ryan was devastated after the match, having knocked on in the closing stages with the try-line at his mercy.

The Warrington directors were less concerned and looking forward to a bumper gate at Odsal for the replay. In the event, a then world record crowd of 102,569 turned out and saw Warrington win a thrilling match 8-4.

Three days later, Ryan helped Warrington complete the double by beating Halifax again, this time 8-7, in the Championship Final. He was also a key figure in the team who retained the Championship the following season by beating Oldham in the final.

Time was starting to catch up with Ryan, however, and rather than moving into the front row to prolong his career, he decided to retire in 1958 after 372 first-team appearances and 37 tries. Wigan’s loss was most certainly Warrington’s gain.

Ryan died after a lengthy illness in October 2009.

Hall of Fame: Gilfedder, Ryan and Featherstone