Dragons nominate Ryan Couchman for Ken Stephen Medal
The Dragons are proud to nominate Ryan Couchman for the 2025 Ken Stephen Medal – Man of the Year.
A proud product of the Thirroul Butchers, Ryan has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to community and charity work throughout his young NRL career.
Despite sustaining a season-ending injury in 2025, Ryan has refused to let this setback dampen his involvement in community programs. Instead, he has used this time to double down on his efforts attending club events and stepping up to take part in upcoming regional visits in 2025.
Since making his debut for the Dragons in 2023, Ryan has exemplified the values of the club and Dragons Community embodying the mission to positively impact people’s lives across the region.
His proactivity and genuine enthusiasm for giving back to the community is immediately evident in his regular involvement in grassroots and youth development programs for which he has dedicated substantial time and effort to.
He has been a familiar face at local junior league clubs, not only attending games but also engaging directly with players and their families offering encouragement and sharing insights from his own journey.
His dedication extends to school visits and assemblies where he consistently goes above and beyond to inspire students.
His passion for grassroots engagement is especially noteworthy in the Dragons’ The Best You Can Be program where he has returned to his own former primary school to speak with students and remind them of the importance of hard work, perseverance, and community values.
Ryan has also financially supported the program at Thirroul allowing teachers to use resources for the entire year and encourage the 170 students involved each year to learn about topics such as Nutrition, Resilience, Physical Activity and Social Inclusion.
Ryan has recently been involved in the NRL Roads to Regions initiative, further demonstrating his willingness to go the extra mile—both figuratively and literally—to connect with rural and remote communities.
Through this program, he has travelled to regional areas to share his story and inspire young people who may not always have direct access to NRL role models reinforcing his belief in the power of sport and positive role models to transform lives.
Ryan, alongside his twin brother Toby, has shown his unwavering support for a cause close to his heart by recently donating a signed jersey to a fundraiser for a dear family friend currently battling brain cancer. The Hyrox event, organised at the family’s request, raised money for the Mark Hughes Foundation. Whilst Ryan’s season-ending injury prevented him from physically participating in the event, he was eager and willing to take part under different circumstances.
As a local, Ryan grew up with seeing the i98FM Illawarra Convoy and has taken the opportunity to positively support a number of initiatives aligned to the charity including social media promotions, taking part in upcoming training visit from beneficiaries of the Illawarra Community Foundation, attending the upcoming i98FM Convoy Family Fun Day and planned visits to Wollongong Hospital Children’s Ward which has been redeveloped from Illawarra Community Foundation funds.
