Channel 9 commentator Ray Warren opens up on his 50-year broadcasting journey

WHO’S the toughest name to call in the NRL? RAY WARREN reveals that and more as he talks to ROBERT CRADDOCK about 50 years of calling.

Channel Nine (9) TV sports commentator Ray Warren during an unveiling ceremony of a bronze statue of himself in his home town...

CHANNEL 9’s Ray Warren is celebrating his 50th year of calling and it has been a colourful journey.

The 72-year-old, who has been branded the game’s greatest broadcaster, talks about why he won’t fly before noon, why Kerry Packer scared him, and the rumours of his long lost brother.

Comedian Billy Birmingham used to ring up radio stations pretending to be your disowned brother. Did people fall for it?

Billy made up this skit that we abandoned Reg, who was still at Junee calling the dogs. I came off air and my brother Jack, who sadly died recently, rang from the nursing home and said “we haven’t got another brother, have we?’’ I spent a lot of time explaining how Billy was a comedian but at the end of our talk Jack said “are you sure we have not got another brother?”

You have always been a mad punter but as a young policeman you were sent to arrest some SP bookies. How tough was that?

It was quite funny. They said I had to arrest the bookie at the Ainslie Rex Hotel in Canberra then come down to the Civic Hotel and there’s another bookie down there. I said “I don’t know how to tell you this but I owe both of them 100 quid. I don’t know how I can lock them up.”

So what happened?

The first guy was called Frank who had a Mercedes-Benz. He said “did you really have to do this because I have to work at the races this afternoon”. He gave me a lift to the police station. I told him I was going to the races and I would be sitting on top of the grandstand practising my calling because I wanted to be a race caller. He just looked at me and said “you must be kidding”.

Ray Warren is celebrating his 50th year of calling.

You were well known for having a fear of flying. Have you overcome it?

I don’t think I have actually. I still get white knuckles and sweaty palms.
I have a thing where I press upon the girls who organise our travel that I fly on the biggest plane I can and be seated as far forward as possible because you don’t feel the turbulence as much. And I won’t fly before midday.

Why?

Because if you fly after midday you don’t look like an alcoholic if you ask for a drink.

I know you’re being serious but that’s still a funny answer …

Well I came back from Auckland one day and a guy ordered a bottle of red and knocked it off with some tea and toast by what would have been 5.30am Sydney time. I looked at him and thought ‘you’ve got a problem mate’.

Do you trace your fear of flying back to anything?

I do actually. You have to understand Dad was a fettler on the railway. Mum worked the weigh bridge. Every time we sat down and had lunch a plane would go over and they used to openly say “if you were meant to fly you would have wings”. The railway slogan was railway was the safe way. It reminded me you have to be careful what you say around young people because you can embed some awful fears in their mind. My parents had some funny fears.

Any others?

Lightning. When I was going to bed and there was lightning Mum would wrap a bike tube around me because she thought it would conduct the electricity so I am full of all these superstitions.

Ray Warren is celebrating his 50th year of calling

We had written that you were likely to retire this year but the whisper is you might go around again.

I was asked the question the other day whether I was thinking of retirement and I said I am always thinking of it. That's what people of 72 do. I am contracted until the end of 2017 so I am playing it year by year. I’ll tell you the truth. I am a bit frightened of retirement.

You once said one of your toughest moments in broadcasting was when nature called during a game. What happened?

I was working with Frank Hyde in the Amco Cup and it was late in a double header. I’d been drinking soft drink since the first game and I was busting to go for a number one. I wrote Frank a note saying “can you take over for five minutes” and he wrote “no thank you”.

So how did you get by?

I had to keep calling and try to find the hole in the top of the drink can to relieve myself. I thought I was going really well then suddenly my leg felt warm.

You recently released your autobiography but you were determined not to bag people. Why?

I can never work out why people want to retire and then unload on people they have been to war with. I believe in letting sleeping dogs lie.

David Gyngell said at your book launch that Kerry Packer scared you. Is that right?

I was petrified of him. If I saw him in our office canteen I would vanish in one fell swoop. They had me convinced he did not like me so I did not want a confrontation. Later I became friends with John Cornell who took me aside at James Packer’s wedding to Jodhi Meares. I said “Kerry hates me” and he said “mate he loves you” and I said “what do you mean, I have been dodging him like a fugitive?”

Ray Warren recently released his autobiography.

Your upbringing in Junee seemed very unspoilt.

I have vivid memories of life at Junee. My parents were hardworking, humble people and we had a humble little weatherboard house. TV came in 1956 but we could not afford it so we spent our life in the kitchen listening to Bob Dyer and Blue Hills and others. We had an outside dunny and no shower. It was an incredible life and it gave me a good platform.

When did you have your first bet?

In 1949 at age five. Dad was babysitting me. I had chickenpox and was driving him mad. I pestered him to let me have a bet. I picked Playboy, a maiden, in the 1949 Derby not knowing that maidens are not supposed to win Derbys. It won and he had to give me 10 shillings. I kept backing George Moore and he seemed to win one in every three bets and I was hooked.

I have heard you mark yourself very hard. True?

I used to bash myself up until I worked with Peter Sterling and Paul Vautin. They took the piss out of me and I learnt how to laugh along with them so I have improved a bit.

There are a lot of exotic names in rugby league now which have added so much flavour to the code. But are they difficult to call?

Bloody oath. I try to simplify them. Seumanufagai is my equal favourite with Sio Siua Taukeiaho from the Roosters. It can be difficult to flow with your commentary. It used to be Smith, Raper, Gasnier. Now its Pauli Pauli, Waerea-Hargreaves, Tellyourmamma and Tellyourpoppa. I have put a skit together when I am guest speaking. It works quite well.

Ray Warren during the Media Hall of Honour inaugural induction ceremony at the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Up here the punters always enjoyed that line about Alan Cann … “somebody stop him, he’s going to run out of the stadium”. Remember that?

I’m not sure where it came from. A lot of me traces back to race caller Bert Bryant. He tried to entertain people. You would do your last dollar and he would still make you laugh.

What don’t Queenslanders get about Phil Gould?

He is a very smart man and a wonderful piece of property in commercial television. He is quite academic really. He could do anything. The Packers had their annual seminar five years ago and he was the guest speaker. I enjoy working with him.

So how did you actually get started as a caller?

Junee has no racetrack but someone spilt a tin of marbles and they run to the lowest point of this house of ours which was the side door. Suddenly I got the notion that if I picked out all the ones which were different colours I could call a race from them. I called them every day after school until I was 15. I’m 72 and I am still living the dream.

Originally published as Channel 9 commentator Ray Warren opens up on his 50-year broadcasting journey