Ray Price (rugby)
| File:Rprice.jpg | |
Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ray Price |
| Position | Lock Forward |
Ray Price OAM, born March 4, 1953, is a former dual-International (rugby union and rugby league) footballer, who was nicknamed 'Mr Perpetual Motion' for his hard, intimidating style of play 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 (and incorrectly) sent off in the 1978 minor semi-final, it was no surprise when Price was chosen to tour with the Kangaroos.
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 and 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 Though he had been superseded by Wayne Pearce (who had been moved into the second row in test teams since 1982) as Australia's premier lock, Price was still at his best in 1985, winning the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 unprecedent 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. 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 is battling bowel cancer
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)
Achievements
Awards
- Rothmans Medal in 1979
- Harry Sunderland Medal in 1979
- Dally M. Medal in 1982
- Order of Australia in 1985
- Inductee, Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1992
- Named in Parramatta Legends Team (Greatest Lock Forward) in 2002
Premierships