- Ray Warren won’t come out of retirement to cover 100th Origin game
- He labeled the wild rumors in a Triple M interview as ‘absolute rumour’
- Warren, 80, last called an Origin match for Channel 9 in 2021
Revered commentator Ray ‘Rabs’ Warren has responded to calls for him to come out of retirement and cover his 100th State of Origin match, but sadly the news is not good for rugby league fans.
Warren, 80, last called an Origin clash in 2021, and rumors have circulated that he was eager to rack up a century of matches.
The man himself, who has also covered 45 NRL Grand Finals, angrily rejected the speculation.
“It’s an absolute rumor,” Warren said in Triple M, Ali and Spida flan show from the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
“I never, ever said I would agree to make another Origin game… someone took the liberty via social media to absolutely misquote me and that made things a little uncomfortable for me, but that’s the way it is.
Revered commentator Ray ‘Rabbits’ Warren has responded to calls for him to come out of retirement and cover his 100th State of Origin game.
Warren, 80, called the rumors “absolute rumours” and remains happily retired (pictured left, when he was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame in 2019).
“I get very irritated by people who write absolute rubbish.”
The ‘Voice of Rugby League’ also confirmed he will remain happily retired before tipping Michael Maguire’s Blues to win the 2024 series.
“No, I would rule it out almost without thinking,” he said.
‘I had a great career: 55 years. At the end of 2021, I decided that would be good for me…why would I risk undoing any good I may have done?
“I’ll be 81 early next month…I came out when I was doing reasonably well.”
Warren called his first Origin game for Channel 9 in 1989 and soon became a fixture on television screens each year during the three interstate clashes.
In 2019, Warren was inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame for his continued service to the sport.
Warren also covered swimming, tennis and horse racing in his decorated career, winning legions of sports fans along the way.