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Post by Electric Eel on May 30, 2020 19:14:53 GMT 10
 Ray Price Born - 1953 Parramatta 1976 - 1986 Games - 259 Wikipedia |
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Post by Electric Eel on May 30, 2020 19:15:24 GMT 10
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 Loose Forward/Lock. He is a bowel cancer survivor and an ambassador for Brown Ribbon Day.
Son of former North Sydney Bears player Kevin Price, and nephew of Peter Diversi, Ray Price began his career playing rugby union for Junior Club Dundas Valley, played senior rugby union for the Parramatta Two Blues and represented the Wallabies in 8 tests between 1974 and 1976, scoring 4 tries.
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 début 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 Loose Forward/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 Though he had been superseded by Wayne Pearce (who had been moved into the second row in test teams since 1982) as Australia's premier Loose Forward/Lock, Price was still at his best in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.
Rugby League career statistics
Parramatta (1976–1986)
Games 257 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)
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Post by Electric Eel on May 30, 2020 19:15:50 GMT 10
A Centenary of Rugby League
By Ian Heads and David Middleton
Over the second half of rugby league's first century, the number of rugby union forwards who have made a successful transition to the 13-a-side could almost be counted on one hand. Players such as Rex Mossop, Dick Thornett, Kevin Ryan and Ken Kearney were exceptions to the rule. Another was Ray Price, Parramatta's bearded warrior, who stamped an unforgettable footprint on his club and the game in an extraordinary decade of achievement.
Price was raised in Dundas, a largely housing commission suburb in Sydney's west, where he played rugby union for the local Dundas Valley club. Soon, he was starring with the Parramatta first grade rugby team, rising to Wallaby selection in 1974. He played seven Tests as a breakaway, earning recognition for his relentless workrate. 'His workload alone so outstripped his opponents that he had a profound effect on a game, something which in rugby union is usually the privilege of first fives,' wrote journalist Tim Sheridan. But Price, the son of a printer, Kevin 'Bluey' Price, who had played a season of first grade league with North Sydney in 1949, and the nephew of league international Peter Diversi, always planned for a future in rugby league.
He made the switch in 1976 at the invitation of Parramatta coach Terry Fearnley, who had been an admirer of Price's playing style for several seasons, and made an immediate impact with the Eels, initially as a second-rower, before a switch to lock forward late in his first season. He played the entire season in the top grade and figured in the Eels' first grand final appearance, a 13-10 loss to Manly. By 1978, he was a dual international, playing the first of 22 Test matches.
Although vastly different in style to the classic lock forwards of the modern era, such as Johnny Raper and Ron Coote, Price won wide acclaim for his high involvement and his fierce attitude. It was early in his league career that he earned the nickname 'Mr Perpetual Motion' a label that so perfectly encapsulated his approach.
At Parramatta he was the cornerstone of the club's premiership triumphs in the 1980s. The Eels were blessed with one of the finest backlines ever assembled at club level, but their forward packs of the era were at best tradesmanlike. Without the endeavour and drive that Price supplied to every game, it is doubtful that the team could have scaled the heights it reached during his time. He played himself to a near standstill in 259 first-grade games for the Eels, a figure surpassed only by former team-mate Brett Kenny (265), and he retired on the perfect note in 1986 when he and team-mate Mick Cronin shared in the Eels' fourth grand final triumph in their final game for the club. Three years later, at age 38, Price risked his reputation on a comeback with English club Wakefield Trinity, but earned further recognition for his displays of sheer willpower as he played on despite a series of injuries.
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Post by Electric Eel on May 30, 2020 19:16:14 GMT 10
Raymond Allan Price OAM, (born 4 March 1953) is an Australian former dual-code 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. Price played rugby league for Sydney's Parramatta Eels club, with whom he won four NSWRL premierships, a Dally M Medal and a Rothmans Medal. He also played in State of Origin for New South Wales.
Playing career
Ray Price began his career playing rugby union for Junior Club Dundas Valley, played senior rugby union for the Parramatta Two Blues, New South Wales Waratahs and represented the Wallabies in 7 tests, as flanker/breakaway, between 1974 and 1975, scoring 4 tries. One of these was against the New Zealand All Blacks, when, following a wayward penalty kick, Price wrested the ball from an in-goal defender, and scored. During the 1975 England rugby tour of Australia, Price was so intimidating off the back of the lineout, that English flyhalf Alan Old stood >20 metres from the scrumhalf.
After this, Price moved to play rugby league for the Parramatta Eels and was an instant sensation with his courage and high work rate. 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 go on the 1978 Kangaroo tour.
In July of that year his international rugby league début 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 work rate 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 both Wayne Pearce of the Balmain Tigers (who had been moved into the second row in test and NSW teams since 1982/83) and Paul Vautin of Manly-Warringah 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).
With Parramatta winning their second premiership in succession, Price was an automatic selection for the 1982 Kangaroo Tour. Coached by Frank Stanton, the 1982 Kangaroos went through their tour of Great Britain and France undefeated, becoming the first Kangaroo touring side to achieve the feat. As a result, the 1982 Kangaroos became known as The Invincibles. Price played in the first two Ashes tests against Great Britain and was named Man of the Match in the Kangaroos 27-4 win in the second test at Wigan's Central Park ground. A knee injury would keep him out of the final test against the Lions at Headingley in Leeds as well as the two test series against France. He also played in the pre-tour test against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby. Australia won its first ever test against the Kumuls 38-4.
Following the enforced retirement of incumbent NSW and Australian captain Max Krilich due to a persistent neck injury in 1983, Ray Price was given the captaincy of NSW for the 1984 State of Origin series. Although Queensland won the series 2-1, there was a strong public push, especially within the Sydney media and from the NSWRL, for Price to be named as Australian captain for the upcoming Ashes series against Great Britain. However, with a view to the future, the Australian Rugby League named Queensland captain (and vice-captain of the 1982 Kangaroos) Wally Lewis as the new test captain. Price retired from representative football following the final test of the 1984 Ashes series, played in front of 18,756 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia won the match 20-7 and the series 3-0. Following the game, Price gave his No. 13 (Lock-forward) jumper to Pearce in a symbol of passing the torch.
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 (Heritage No. 1103). 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.
Wikipedia
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