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He’s the voice of rugby league and the staple of Channel Nine’s NRL coverage but the network will need to find a replacement with Ray ‘Rabs’ Warren announcing 2016 is more than likely his last season behind the microphone.
Hailing from Junee, a small country town near Wagga Wagga, Warren got his first media gig at 2LF in Young, the cherry capital of New South Wales.
It was those early commentary gigs, initially as a race caller that Warren honed his skills and developed the level of excitement that endeared him to rugby league fans from as early as 1966.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE RAY ‘RABS’ WARREN COMMENTARY MOMENTS? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW
Half a century on and Warren believes it’s the right time to bow out.
“In fact, I’d be happy to get through the year, to be honest,” Warren told Fairfax media.
“I’ve had some bad health in the past 12 months and had too many anaesthetics, maybe it’s trying to tell me something,” he said.
“I’ve had the prostate problem, hernias and God knows what operated on. You’re in hospital with all the footballers in the off season.”
Warren joined the Nine Network in 1988 after parting ways with Channel Ten as their chief commentator.
Since his time at Nine he’s become the undisputed voice of the game.
Warren’s likely final year at Nine will be a strange one with the network essentially competing for viewers against pay television with Foxtel to broadcast every game live with their own commentary team.
Channel Nine, though, still retains exclusive rights to the biggest games including the State of Origin series where Warren, as always, will have the full attention of more than two million Australians.
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