Ray Price (rugby)

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Ray Price
Full nameRaymond Alan Price
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Forward

Raymond Alan Price OAM, (born 4 March, 1953 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian former dual-International (rugby union and rugby league) footballer. He was nicknamed 'Mr Perpetual Motion' for his hard, intimidating style of play in league at lock forward.

He began his career playing rugby union for Junior Club Dundas Valley, played senior rugby union for the Parramatta Two Blues and toured with the Wallabies in 1975–1976 playing 10 Tests.

Rugby league career

After this, Price moved to play rugby league for the Parramatta Eels and was an instant sensation with his courage and high workrate. Although Parramatta lost the grand final that year, Price played consistently well throughout, and he only improved in the following three seasons, maintaining his form even in the fiery and successful assault of the St. George pack in the 1977 Grand Final Replay (which Parramatta lost 0–22). Despite being controversially sent off in the 1978 minor semi-final, it was no surprise when Price was chosen to tour with the Kangaroos.

In July of that year his international rugby league debut in the 2nd Test against New Zealand in Brisbane saw him become Australia's 36th dual code rugby international following Geoff Richardson and preceding Michael O'Connor.

1979 proved to be Price's finest year, for he won the Rothmans Medal and the Rugby League Week Player of the Year awards and was established as the premier lock in Australia, a place he was to hold until the middle 1980s. Although his form at club level never reached quite the same standard of his first four seasons, his high workrate and chasing of Peter Sterling's kicks made Price an integral part of Parramatta's hat-trick of premierships in 1981-1982-1983. Though he had been superseded by Wayne Pearce (who had been moved into the second row in test teams since 1982) as Australia's premier lock, Price was still at his best in 1985, winning the Dally M Lock of the Year for the fourth successive year and the Rugby League Week Player of the Year award for the second time. That same year, Price became the first rugby league player to win the Order of Australia Medal (OAM).

1986 was planned to be (and was) his last season with the Eels and he celebrated with an unprecedented fifth straight win of the Dally M Lock of the Year and a premiership win in the grand final.

After moving into the media with 2UE for two years, Price made a comeback at age thirty-six with English club Wakefield Trinity. He stayed for one season (1989-90) and played 25 games, scoring 6 tries. However, after one season, he sought and obtained election to the Parramatta board, but his comments about the club's decline in the early 1990s were widely criticised and he lost his place in 1994.

On 12th December 2006, Price revealed he was suffering from bowel cancer. He appeared on the The Footy Show on the 16th June 2007 and declared that he had beaten the aforesaid cancer.

Price married into the Kellett family.

Rugby League career statistics

  • Parramatta (1976 - 1986)

Games 258 Points 258 (78 tries - 24 after the value increased from 3 points to 4 in 1983)

  • Australia (1978 - 1984)

Tests 22 (including Kangaroo Tours in 1978 and 1982) Points 31 (10 tries - one after value increased from 3 points to 4)

  • New South Wales (1978 - 1984)

Games 15 (3 as Captain) Points 18 (6 tries)

  • Wakefield Trinity (UK) (1989-90)

Games 25 Points 24 (6 tries)

Achievements

Awards

Premierships

References

  • Whiticker, Alan and Hudson, Glen (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p. 609. ISBN 9781877082931. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Footnotes

  1. ^ Peter Cassidy (2008-02-23). "Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players". Macquarie National News. Retrieved 2008-02-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "Centenary of Rugby League - The Players". NRL & ARL. 2008-02-23. Retrieved 2008-02-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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