Ray 'Brownie' Brown

Wagga hooker first drew rave reviews from Penrith captain, English international Mick Stephenson, after Riverina thrashed the Panthers in an Amco Cup match in 1978. The Country Player of the Year that year, Brown was a clever ball-player, a consistent ball-winner and elusive in the open. Wests won the race for his services in 1979 and Brown was a non-playing reserve against Great Britain in the 1979 Ashes series in his first season in Sydney. Ironically, his representative career took off when he signed with Manly - a club that had Australian captain Max Krilich ensconced in the hooker role – in 1980. After playing lock and second-row, he was a replacement hooker in the club's 1982 grand final loss to P’matta before touring under Krilich's captaincy with the 1982 Kangaroos. Brown played in the inaugural Test against Papua-New Guinea and was a reserve in three Tests against Great Britain and France. In 1983 he played in his only State of Origin match and was again a replacement in the Brisbane Test against NZ. He assumed the Manly hooker role with Krilich's retirement later in the season and gave the final pass for Phil Sigsworth to score Manly's only try in the grand final loss to P’matta. After a battle with injury, Brown left the club at the end of 1986 and was captain-coach of Central Coast premiers Woy Woy in 1987.