Ray Stone shattered to have played his last game for the Eels

In his first interview since his season-ending knee injury, Parramatta cult hero Ray Stone explains how he scored ‘that try’ and why the Eels can go all the way

NRL 2022 RD03 Melbourne Storm v Parramatta Eels – Ray Stone, TRY, MATCH WINNER. Picture: NRL Photos

Ray Stone, the Eels golden point hero. Stone Cold Ray. Kick Chase Stone.

Hearing the nicknames he’s attracted over the past seven days, injured Parramatta forward Ray Stone squeezes an uncomfortable smile.

“I don’t usually get headlines like that,’’ Stone says.

Then, with his right knee still puffy and swollen, his mind wanders back to an awful place of emptiness, far removed from the adulation of experts and social media retweets.

Stone’s 2022 NRL season and five-years with the Eels is over, having signed a two-year deal with NRL start-up club the Dolphins.

And that is what pains Stone more than his busted knee. “That’s what hurts the most, thinking I had a full season to have a crack at winning the title with them and it finished early,’’ Stone said.

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Ray Stone is left clutching at his knee after scoring the game-winning try. Picture: NRL Photos

Stone, 24, ruptured his ACL when scoring the matchwinning try for the Eels in golden-point extra time against the Storm in Melbourne last weekend. We all saw the painful vision, but here’s how the Moss Vale Dragons junior described it:

“It felt like my knee went through my shin, so I assumed something happened that wasn’t good.’’

Stone had been the only Eels player to keep running forward as half Mitchell Moses attempted a matchwinning field goal.

The flying football ricocheted off the upright, bouncing in the direction of Stone, who had the mindset to trail the kick, “just in case”.

Few commentators had seen anything like it.

“When I try and sink a drop-kick, I slice it all the time, so I thought I’ll chase through because if he slices it, I’ll be pretty close to getting it,’’ Stone said. “And then when he kicked it, I thought it was going over.

“I was about to pull up (running), but then I saw it bounce off and it was coming straight for me.

“I got lucky in that sense.”

Concern for Ray Stone is unfortunately an ACL injury with non-contact change of direction mechanism. Best case meniscus/bone bruise but didn’t look good. Walking around a few minutes later does not clear him of an ACL injury, commonly possible with ACL ruptures. Fingers crossed pic.twitter.com/87DBkt4ANw

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 26, 2022

Forget luck, this was all desire. Collecting the ball while stepping hard off his right foot to evade the cover defence of Storm half Jahrome Hughes, Stone tore his ACL and stripped some of his meniscus cartilage.

The amateur boxer, who had two fights last year, knew he had won the game for his side. But he also realised something else.

“I’d heard from other people who have done this (torn ACL) that it hurts and then it goes away when you walk around,’’ Stone said.

“When I started walking around, that’s when I thought, I’ve probably done my ACL.

“I spoke to the doc in the dressing rooms and he put me on the table and he tested it. He felt pretty sure it was my ACL. From there I knew my season was done.

Eels player Ray Stone with his children Boris, 3, and 10-month-old Cassidy. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I was still happy that we won and all the boys were getting around me, so that helped.

Then the father instinct kicked in. “It was more the case of worrying about having two kids (Boris, 3 and Cassidy 10 months) at home and not being able to do anything with them.”

Stone has been buoyed by messages of support from other players who had torn their ACL, including Christian Welch (Storm), Andrew Davey (Sea Eagles) and Hayze Dunster (Eels), as well as the support from coach Brad Arthur.

Stone said he had full faith in the Eels going all the way in 2022.

“Quite a number of the boys are moving on at the end of the year so for all of us, this is our chance,” Stone said.

“We’ve had a pretty similar team for the past few years and this is the one we all want to make count.

“It’s just hard for me knowing I’m not going to be taking the field with them anymore.’’