Ray Warren comfortable on couch for Origin
Ray Warren will spend his first State of Origin on his couch at home since 1989, talking at his TV rather than calling the match to millions of Australians.
For the first time in 34 years, Ray Warren will spend Wednesday night’s State of Origin talking at his television, rather than through millions of others.
For almost every rugby league fan, the game’s showpiece will have an undeniably different soundtrack.
Warren has called all 99 games since 1989, be it in combination with Darrell Eastlake for his first few years or as the sole play-by-play caller ever since.
Matthew Thompson will take over Nine’s exclusively live coverage from 7pm, having assumed the reins for the majority of this season already, before Warren confirmed his retirement last week.
But for no-one will Origin night seem more different for than Warren, who has even surprised himself at how comfortable he has become watching from the couch this year.
“I sit there talking to the television,” Warren told AAP.
“I will sit here and say: ‘God that has gone forward by a mile, c’mon’.
“Saying, ‘sir he’s offside, please’. Or ‘why did you pass, you had a two-man overlap on the outside’.
“I’m just like every other viewer, sitting here on my own talking to myself now.”
Warren has, however, felt the pressure lift off his shoulders in 2022.
Set to turn 79 on Saturday, the veteran caller has long spoken about his desire not to go on too long and ruin his legacy.
But still, there remains a tinge of sadness.
It is not lost on Warren he has been commentating on sport since age seven, when he began rolling marbles down a hill and imitating race caller Ken Howard as his family bet on races.
“For 72 years I have either pretended to be a sports commentator, practised to be a sports commentator or been a sports commentator,” Warren said.
“It has actually been all my life.”
Warren’s treasured Origin memories are vast.
The Mark Coyne ‘miracle’ try in 1994 remains his favourite moment, with Billy Slater’s 2004 effort a close second.
Thanks to COVID-19 Warren finished his career calling from a studio, stuck in NSW for last year’s Origins and grand final.
Even that presented the biggest challenges of his career, having always had the mantra his call should rise and fall with a crowd that was then non-existent.
“That was a scary ending,” Warren said.
“I got through all three Origins in Queensland last year. And then the grand final.
“And that was a full stop. I thought ‘what else is there for me to do’?”
Some would argue Origin No.100 would have been a fair goal. But for the man affectionately known as Rabs there was no temptation.
Warren’s retirement marks the end of an era in Australian sports broadcasting.
Bruce McAvaney no longer calls the AFL, Richie Benaud is missed in cricket, and now rugby league has lost its voice.
At times in the past week, Warren has even become teary in reflection, particularly when asked by one radio host if his parents would have been proud.
“They had this kid at home rolling marbles down the slope trying to sound like Ken Howard,” Warren said.
“They probably used to go to bed thinking ‘there is something wrong with this kid’.
“So at the end of the day they would be pretty happy with what we’ve done.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments