For some time, Anderson was a wrestler and showed a promising career in Rugby Union as an Outside Back or Fullback.
When the South Sydney Rugby League Club was formed, Anderson aligned himself with the new game.
Unlike many of the older footballers, Anderson was putting his entire career on the line if the NSWRL (New South Wales Rugby League) failed, as many people in Sydney predicted that it would.
And, putting aside fears of a lifetime ban from the Metropolitan RU (Rugby Union), Tommy set out to learn the skills of a new game with his teammates.
Shortly before half time, Anderson had the honour of scoring South Sydney's first ever premiership try.
Anderson was beaten to the record of the first Rugby League try in Australia minutes earlier in the Easts (now the Sydney Roosters) vs Newtown match at Wentworth Park.
Anderson quickly began the rapid rise to the top of the 'Rugby League Tree', soon averaging a try a match.
For the 1908 interstate series, which saw the New South Wales rugby league team's first ever match against their Queensland counterparts, Anderson was selected to play on the wing for the Blues, scoring four tries in the 43–0 defeat of the Maroons.
Two late tries to, including one to a half naked Robert Graves, gave Australia the win 14–9.
Upon return to Australia, Tommy immediately took back his place at South Sydney and scored two tries in a spiteful 20–0 win over Newcastle.
On the upside, Anderson was just 21, had two premierships, Test Match appearances, State, and International representation.
Top Union players had converted to League, crowds were huge, the English Lions were on their way ... and the Easts (Sydney Roosters) were filthy.
When Souths came up against Easts, and they knew, just like every other team in the league, that the key to winning the match was to 'quiet Dally'.
Reports of the game show Anderson and Messenger meeting many times in the air, hitting chests.
His war records describe his injuries as an "internal derangement of the knee joint" and was sent back to England to recover.
[4] After returning home from war, he suffered from different medical conditions that stopped him from ever playing Rugby League again.