Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Raymond Allen Price
- Nickname(s)
- Mr Perpetual Motion
- Born
- Wednesday, 4th March, 1953
- Current Age
- 73 years and 29 days
- Place Of Birth
- St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- The Ashes
- 1978/1979, 1979, 1982, 1984
- Test Series
- Australia vs New Zealand 1978, New Zealand vs Australia 1980, Australia vs France 1981, Australia vs New Zealand 1982, New Zealand vs Australia 1983
- Interstate Series
- 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
- City vs Country Firsts
- 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
- NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL)
- 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986
- Midweek Cup
- 1980, 1986
- Harry Sunderland Medal
- 1979
- RLW Player of the Year
- 1979, 1985
- Rothmans Medal
- 1979
- Dally M Representative Player Of The Year
- 1981
- Dally M Lock Of The Year
- 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986
- Dally M Player Of The Year
- 1982
- Dally M Captain Of The Year
- 1986
- National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
- 2008
Known Family Links
- Father
- Kevin Price
- Brother
- Mick Price
- Don Price
- Uncle
- Peter Diversi
Biography
Tough, courageous lock, Parramatta's 'Mr Perpetual Motion' represented Australia in both rugby codes. Ray Price switched to League in 1976 after representing the Wallabies in 8 Tests whilst playing for the P’matta RU club. It was first thought that he would take time to adjust to rugby league but nothing could have been further from the truth. Price was an immediate success that year as a second row forward before moving to lock and scored more tries than any other forward in the competition. He was tireless in defeat in the Eels' losing grand final teams in 1976-77 (he was knocked out three times in the historic replay against St George in 1977). In the 1978 major semi-final replay against Manly Price was controversially sent from the field and later exonerated by the judiciary. He made his Test debut against NZ in 1978 before touring with the Kangaroos. Price played in all five Tests on tour and, following three Test matches against Great Britain in 1979, won both the Harry Sunderland Medal and Rothmans Medal. Price was a champion competitor who always gave his all, whether at club, state or Test level. During his career he took the peculiar stance of watching the uprights when an opposing player took a shot at goal. (In his first RU Test against NZ in 1974, he scored a try off a failed penalty goal by Paul McLean and was always wary of others doing the same). P’matta won three consecutive premierships in 1981-83 and Price added steel and resolve to the club's lightweight forward pack. In 1982 he made the second of his Kangaroo Tours and by the time he stood down from Test football in 1984 he had played in 22 Tests over a six year period. The first player to be awarded the Order of Australia while still playing the game Price took over as P’matta captain in 1985 and set his sights on leading the club to the premiership before he retired. In a storybook ending to his career he did just that in 1986 but the reality of the 4-2 grand final win over C’bury is one of Price putting his body on the line for his club and driving himself to the point of exhaustion. He was named 'Dally M' Lock of the Year for five consecutive years (1982-86) and retired with a club record number of first grade games to his credit. Always a man who said what he thought Price took on a broadcasting role with Radio 2UE but three years later, at age 36, played one final season with Wakefield Trinity in England. In 1993 Price was admitted to the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame and won a place on the P’matta Club Board with the aim of seeing the club reverse its downward slide. His criticism of the club's efforts in the 1990s was poorly executed and, in 1994, he was forced to stand down from the P’matta Board after a failed business venture. In 2001 Price was duly named in the Eels’ team of the century but five years later, took on his toughest opponent – cancer.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | - | 23 | 10 | - | - | 31 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 82.61% | List | ||||
| The Ashes | 4 | 10 | 7 | - | - | 22 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 90.00% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | Australia | - | 38 | 11 | - | - | 34 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 86.84% | List | |||
| Test Series | 9 | 21 | 10 | - | - | 31 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 80.95% | List | ||||
| Representative Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| State of Origin | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25.00% | List | ||||
| Interstate Series | 4 | 7 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| City vs Country Firsts | 5 | 5 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) | 4 | 258 | 78 | - | - | 258 | 178 | 73 | 7 | 68.99% | List | ||||
| NSWRFL/NSWRL Finals | - | 32 | 5 | - | - | 17 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 59.38% | List | ||||
| Preseason Cup | - | 15 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 53.33% | List | ||||
| Midweek Cup | 2 | 19 | 5 | - | - | 16 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 63.16% | List | ||||
| Club Career - UK | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| English Championship | - | 20 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 45.00% | List | ||||
| Challenge Cup | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Regal Trophy | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| UK Top Division | - | 20 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 45.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 377 | 112 | - | - | 368 | 311 | 129 | 11 | 82.49% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1978-84 | 23 | 10 | - | - | 31 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 82.61% | List | ||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSW City Seconds | 1977-78 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| NSW Firsts | 1978-81 | 7 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| NSW City Firsts | 1979-83 | 5 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| NSW | 1981-84 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25.00% | List | ||||
| Oceania | 1984 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1977-1984 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 73.91% | List | ||||
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1976 | 25 | 12 | - | - | 36 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 64.00% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1977 | 25 | 10 | - | - | 30 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 76.00% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1978 | 23 | 11 | - | - | 33 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 60.87% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1979 | 24 | 10 | - | - | 30 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1980 | 13 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 46.15% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1981 | 25 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 68.00% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1982 | 27 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 81.48% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1983 | 25 | 5 | - | - | 20 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 80.00% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRL 1984 | 19 | 5 | - | - | 20 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 68.42% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRL 1985 | 27 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRL 1986 | 25 | 8 | - | - | 32 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 68.00% | List | ||||
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Parramatta | 1976-86 | 258 | 78 | - | - | 258 | 178 | 73 | 7 | 68.99% | List | ||||
English Career - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Wakefield | 1989/90 | 25 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 52.00% | List | ||||
English Career - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Wakefield | 1989 | 25 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 44.00% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Shawn Dollin, Paul Carter, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Steven Russo, AJ Lucantonio, Max Turner, Tony McCarron, Bill Bates, Tim Costello
Sources:
Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook (1981-82 to 1999), Irvin Saxton's Record Keepers' Club
Your Say
8 May 2012 6:57pm
A stubborn refusal to ever give up in a game was characteristic of Ray Price's attitude. Earlier in his career he was known for his "Cumberland throw" tackle (later outlawed).
I remember a Union test which he played breakaway against the All Blacks in 1974. The massive, intimidating NZ forwards completely dominated the inferior Australian pack - except for Price who harried them all day and was responsible for Australia managing a draw in the test. Huge courage.
12 Jul 2017 9:48pm
Ray price was the greatest player, did he have an injury with his eye, maybe glass eye
26 Oct 2017 6:27pm
One of the greatest forwards ever to play the game. He always gave 150% in every match. Epitomized what the true meaning of rugby league is all about. Should have been an immortal.
26 Apr 2018 2:02am
saw Ray play at Wakefield never saw anyone who was a harder tackler than him saw him flatten Adrian Shelford of Wigan and Ellery Hanley at Belle Vue , was like being hit by a bus all fairly.
23 Jul 2019 3:28pm
When asked by Rex Mossop in a TV interview what position he might play when joining the Eels Ray famously replied to the effect - I will play any position the coach puts me, as long as I am playing in first grade.
An excellent attitude that I have asked of players when I have coached other codes, often shortened to the well known - Anywhere is first grade Rex!
26 Jul 2019 3:02pm
I have never seen a tougher player in all the years I have followed Rugby League or a more modest player as were all the Parramatta players
26 Oct 2021 10:16am
Ray price should be a immortal
20 Apr 2023 7:28pm
My all-time favourite player, thankfully he was with the mighty Eels. A master class on his own. Great captain who lead by example that encouraged his team mates to success, a fairytale end to his NRL career to boot. An absolute champion player that will always be remembered at the heart of lifelong Parra fans.. thanks Ray you bloody legend.
19 Feb 2024 8:18pm
Price was the best player in the sydney competition from 1977 to 1983. Everyone who watched him play knows how tough he was, but he was highly skilful - scoring tries off bombs, laying tries on for teammates and scoring individual tries through his speed and evasion.
It's a tragedy he will never be talked about as a possible immortal.
29 Mar 2024 9:50pm
Ray Price was the driven by an unquenchable fire to win. The greatest Eel of all. He should be an immortal already his achievements and success were in my opinion only 2nd to the great Norm Provan:
11 seasons with Parramatta 1976-1986
10 Finals Seasons with Parramatta (Parramatta missed 1980 when Price played the least number of games in the year)
7 Grand Finals 76,77,81,82,83,84 & 86
4 wins 81,82,83 & 86 (as captain)
2 Midweek cup wins
Heart and soul of the eels
Add in all the other achievements in representative teams and personal awards.
His immortal status should be indisputable.
14 Jul 2024 3:37pm
Was the heart and sole of the eels for 10 years. Competed on every single play. Should be an immortal.
Want to have your say? Add a comment.