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
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
111 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
111 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
111 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to comments