A prop forward, he started his football career in Queensland with the Wynnum-Manly club, winning the Brisbane Rugby League premiership's Rothmans Medal for best and fairest of the 1989 season.
The following season Tierney moved to Sydney to play in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership with the St. George Dragons.
[2][3] He spent four seasons there, then another two with the Western Suburbs Magpies before settling at the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.
At the end of the 1997 ARL season, he played in his second consecutive grand final for Manly, which was lost to the Newcastle Knights.
Tierney played in what was then Manly's final game before the merger, which was a 20-18 loss against St George at WIN Stadium.