Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Raymond Higgs
- Born
- 1950
- Place Of Birth
- Roma, Queensland, Australia
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- The Ashes
- 1974
- World Cup
- 1975, 1977
- Interstate Series
- 1975, 1976, 1977
- City vs Country Firsts
- 1976, 1977
- NSWRFL Premiership (NRL)
- 1978
- Preseason Cup
- 1975
- RLW Player of the Year
- 1976
- Rothmans Medal
- 1976
Known Family Links
- Brother
- Adrian Higgs
Biography
Hard-as-nails Queensland forward (originally from Roma but representing Nambour) represented his state against Great Britain in 1974. The withdrawal of Souths forward Gary Stevens on the eve of the First Test in Brisbane catapulted Higgs into the Australian team. He then came to P’matta and although he did not play in another Test, starred in Australia's World Cup wins in 1975 and 1977. As captain of the Eels, Higgs led by example; a tough but fair second-row forward, he won the coveted Rothmans Medal in 1976. Captaining P’matta in consecutive grand final losses in 1976-77, Higgs was responsible for a courageous effort against Manly when he completed the match with a broken cheekbone. A valued defender, he made a club record 50 tackles in a match against C’bury at C’land Oval. However, after the club's loss in the 1977 grand final replay against St George, differences of opinion with coach Terry Fearnley saw him join Manly. (Author Neil Cadigan cites Fearnley's attempts to re-sign the club's former Test prop Bob O'Reilly for the 1978 season as the real reason for their split). Higgs returned to Queensland after an injury-plagued 1978 season and played against NSW in one of the two non-State-of-Origin matches in 1980.
- 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) | - | 10 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 90.00% | List | ||||
| The Ashes | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| World Cup | 2 | 8 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 87.50% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | Queensland Firsts | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Australia | - | 13 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 92.31% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Test Series | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Representative Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Interstate Series | 3 | 10 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 3 | 1 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| City vs Country Firsts | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) | 1 | 79 | 12 | - | - | 36 | 51 | 24 | 4 | 64.56% | List | ||||
| NSWRFL Finals | - | 9 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 44.44% | List | ||||
| Preseason Cup | 1 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 70.00% | List | ||||
| Midweek Cup | - | 12 | - | - | - | - | 7 | 5 | 0 | 58.33% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 129 | 16 | - | - | 48 | 107 | 44 | 6 | 82.95% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1974-75, 1977 | 10 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 90.00% | List | ||||
World Cup Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1974-1977 | 8 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 87.50% | List | ||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| QLD Firsts | 1974, 1980 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| NSW City Seconds | 1975 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| NSW Firsts | 1975-77 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 7 | 1 | 0 | 87.50% | List | ||||
| NSW City Firsts | 1975-77 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| QLD Country | 1980 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1974-1980 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 58.82% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1975 | 22 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 54.55% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1976 | 24 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 62.50% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | NSWRFL 1977 | 23 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 73.91% | List | ||||
| Manly | NSWRFL 1978 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 70.00% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Parramatta | 1975-77 | 69 | 11 | - | - | 33 | 44 | 21 | 4 | 63.77% | List | ||||
| Manly | 1978 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 70.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1975-1978 | 79 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 51 | 24 | 4 | 64.56% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Max Turner, Wests Archives, Tony McCarron, Alan Katzmann, Derek Farrar, Bill Bates, AJ Lucantonio
Your Say
26 Apr 2011 8:44pm
Evening Ray. As a young boy growing up in Parramatta during the 70s spending Sunday afternoon at Cumberland Oval watching the mighty Eels go around gave me so much pleasure. I hope you and your family are all well, wish you all the best.
11 Jul 2012 3:05pm
I don't know if many people know Ray's nick name.
It was "Cement Head"
25 Oct 2012 12:43am
Ray played a season for us at Eastern Suburbs in the Warwick and District Rugby league comp at the end of his career , early 80s. Tough as nails and a nice bloke. Hope you are well, mate.
23 May 2019 10:02pm
Ray was captain coach of Longreach 1979 and 1980.
First time I tackled him, felt like running into a concrete wall. I was with Barcaldine Sand Goannas
7 Jul 2020 7:42pm
Boy I remember you with affection cement head...I only wish Parra and indeed other teams had a player of your quality now. I bumped into “Rocket” up in Gove NT, in the early eighties, and we talked about that GF replay, where Saints got on top of us (Parra)...and he was amazed how soft Parra was in the replay...but he did say how hard of a player you were. Hope your well, and life is being kind to you
5 Jul 2023 5:55pm
HIGGSY !
An all-time legend, Charismatic and a Rock Solid Performer.....
You can never mistake his achievements and victories that were born on the field for the mighty blue & gold.
One of my favorite hard men of that era.
Always remember him, I hope he is still fighting fit, in the best of good health and prosperous.
Thank You for the memories Ray
24 Jun 2024 8:04pm
I thought Rays nickname was bulldog .
5 Mar 2026 8:27pm
He was my boss at Bribie Bowls Club and what a great boss he was
5 Mar 2026 8:50pm
He was my boss at Bribie Bowls was amazing to staff don't care what else is said hope this finds you well ????
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