Bond University MBA student Ryan James is calling time on his NRL career at the end of the year after 13 seasons in the premiership competition.
James made his debut with the Gold Coast Titans in 2010 going on to play 144 games and helping guide the club to its second finals appearance in 2016. That same year he was also crowned the club’s best and fairest Paul Broughton Medallist.
After playing 12 games for the Canberra Raiders and two for the Canterbury Bulldogs across 2021, he was signed by the Brisbane Broncos for the 2022 season and has made nine appearances so far.
He is eager to play finals football with the Broncos who currently sit sixth on the ladder with three rounds of the regular season remaining. Brisbane face fourth placed Melbourne Storm on Friday night.
The 31-year-old prop is not planning on hanging up his football boots permanently, instead, he will move to France in 2024 with his young family to play for a second division league team.
His priority next year is finishing his Master of Business Administration. He is studying at Bond on an ADCO Sports Excellence Scholarship.
In June this year his business The Ryan James group partnered with Hough Pharma to expand an early learning program for Indigenous children on the Gold Coast.
A $77,000 donation from Hough Pharma enabled an extra 24 children to attend the Kalwun Early Learning Programs at centres in Burleigh Heads and Coomera.