Ray Stehr

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Ray Stehr
fullname = Raymond Ernest Stehr


caption =
dateofbirth = 24 January, 1913
placeofbirth = Warialda, New South Wales
countryofbirth =
dateofdeath = 2 June, 1983
countryofdeath =
height =
weight =
position = Front-row
club1 = Easts
year1start = 1929–1946
year1end =
appearances1 = 174
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 = 56
teamA = New South Wales
yearAstart = 1931–1941
yearAend =
appearancesA = 33
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA = 9
teamB = Australia
yearBstart = 1933
yearBend = 1938
appearancesB = 11
triesB =
goalsB =
fieldgoalsB =
pointsB = 6
updated =
source =
new = yes

Raymond Ernest Stehr (24 January, 1913 – 2 June, 1983) was an Australian rugby league footballer, a state and national representative player whose club career was played at Sydney's Eastern Suburbs club. He has been named as one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century. [ [http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players Century's Top 100 Players] ]

Early life

Stehr was born in the country New South Wales town of Warialda in 1913. As an eight year-old child, he was diagnosed an "incurable cripple" after developing blood clots at the base of his spine. He was unable to walk for two years and spent twelve months strapped to a stretcher, completely immobilised with his back encased in a plaster cast. His family moved to Sydney in search of some kind of miracle cure and, following a visit to a Chinese herbalist, the clots began to disappear. Nevertheless, Stehr was told not to contemplate playing contact sport. Stehr defied medical opinion, becoming one of rugby league's toughest front rowers.

Club career

First recruited as a schoolboy from Randwick Boys High School by the Eastern Suburbs club in 1928, Stehr made his first-grade debut in a trial match against Newcastle ahead of the 1928 season when he was aged just 15. The following season aged just 16 years and 85 days he made his regular competition debut - still the youngest ever first-grade Australian player.

In 1934 Stehr joined the Mudgee club in rural NSW as a captain-coach and also captained Country in their annual clash against a Sydney representative side. Midway through the 1934 season he rejoined Easts who were defeated by Western Suburbs in the premiership decider that year. Over the next three seasons, Stehr was a member of the Eastern Suburbs side that lost just one match, winning premierships in each of those years - 1935, 1936 and 1937.

In 1940 Stehr was captain of the Easts side that captured its 8th premiership. Regular captain-coach Dave Brown pulled out on match day with a leg injury and Stehr led the side to a victory in the final over Canterbury-Bankstown. Following WWII in 1945, he led Eastern Suburbs to further premiership glory.

All told he played in 184 matches for Eastern Suburbs a then record.

Representative career

He made his debut appearance for New South Wales in 1932 and the following year was selected for the 1933-34 Kangaroo tour. On tour he played in 26 matches, including two Tests.

Stehr played in Test series against New Zealand and Great Britain. In the series against Britain he set an inglorious record when he was sent off in two of the three matches. The uncompromising, no-nonsense front rower was selected for his second Kangaroo tour in 1937-38.

All told he represented Australia on 55 occasions and in 11 Tests . He played 33 matches for New South Wales, a tally which stands today at third place in the most games by a player for the state (behind Clive Churchill and Graeme Langlands).

War service

WWII brought a premature end to his test career and Stehr spent war in the services. Stationed in Darwin, Stehr was named captain of a North Australian representative side in a match against Central Australia.

Post-playing

During his career, the uncompromising front row forward had a short stint as a professional Boxer

After playing retirement in 1946, he remained involved with the game. He was coach at Manly in 1947-48 and Easts in 1949. A sports journalist – Stehr wrote a column, for many years, in a Sydney newspaper and worked in television media. He was also club president at Easts. In 1961 he was the commentator for the first Australian rugby league match ever broadcast live. His typical sign-off call in the media was always "East’s To Win!".

Ray Stehr died on the 2 June, 1983 aged 70.

Accolades

Stehr was named in Eastern Suburbs greatest ever team - an honorary team. .

In February 2008, Stehr was named in the list of Australia's "100 Greatest Players" (1908-2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. [cite news|author=Peter Cassidy |publisher="Macquarie National News"|title=Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players |url=http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players |accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23] [cite web|publisher="NRL & ARL"|title=Centenary of Rugby League - The Players |url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true |accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23]

References

* cite book | last=Whiticker, Alan and Hudson, Glen |title=The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players |year=2007
publisher="Gary Allen Pty Ltd" |location=Wetherill Park, NSW
* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) "The ABC of Rugby League" Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney

External links

* [http://www.sydneyroosters.com.au/100years/player_profiles.php?profile_id=76 Ray Stehr at "Sydney Roosters 100 Years"]

Footnotes