[3] From 1976 to 1984 Boyd played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for the Western Suburbs Magpies, then the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
[4] During the 1982 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea, Boyd was selected to play for the Kangaroos at second-row forward in both Test matches against the Kiwis.
The hard running forward was sent off in the first half of the second test at Central Park in Wigan by French referee Julian Rascagneres for kicking Lions Hooker John Dalgreen.
BBC commentator Ray French called Boyd's retaliation a "vicious kick", though it appeared he had also missed Dalgreen's action.
While playing for New South Wales in the opening game of the 1983 State of Origin series at Brisbane's Lang Park, Boyd broke the jaw of Queensland forward Darryl Brohman with his elbow[5][6] (rumours at the time stated that had Brohman's jaw not been broken, he was in line to make his test début for Australia in the 1983 test series against New Zealand starting three days later.
In 1984 while playing for Manly, Boyd was again suspended, this time for a record-equalling 15 months for eye-gouging of Canterbury hooker Billy Johnstone.
He played second-row (replaced by substitute Kevin Tamati) in Warrington's 8–34 defeat by Wigan in the 1985 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1985–86 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens, on Sunday 13 October 1985.
[7] He was man of the match, winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy, in Warrington's 38–10 victory over Halifax in the Premiership Final during the 1985–86 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Sunday 18 May 1986.
Boyd played prop in Warrington's 4–18 defeat by Wigan in the 1986–87 John Player Special Trophy Final during the 1986–87 season at Burnden Park, Bolton on Saturday 10 January 1987.