Ray Higgs

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Full Name
Raymond Higgs
Born
1950
Place Of Birth
Roma, Queensland, Australia

Awards & Accolades

RLW Player of the Year
1976
Rothmans Medal
1976

Biography

Hard-as-nails Queensland forward (originally from Roma but representing Nambour) represented his state against Great Britain in 1974. The withdrawal of Souths forward Gary Stevens on the eve of the First Test in Brisbane catapulted Higgs into the Australian team. He then came to P’matta and although he did not play in another Test, starred in Australia's World Cup wins in 1975 and 1977. As captain of the Eels, Higgs led by example; a tough but fair second-row forward, he won the coveted Rothmans Medal in 1976. Captaining P’matta in consecutive grand final losses in 1976-77, Higgs was responsible for a courageous effort against Manly when he completed the match with a broken cheekbone. A valued defender, he made a club record 50 tackles in a match against C’bury at C’land Oval. However, after the club's loss in the 1977 grand final replay against St George, differences of opinion with coach Terry Fearnley saw him join Manly. (Author Neil Cadigan cites Fearnley's attempts to re-sign the club's former Test prop Bob O'Reilly for the 1978 season as the real reason for their split). Higgs returned to Queensland after an injury-plagued 1978 season and played against NSW in one of the two non-State-of-Origin matches in 1980.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Competitions

Competition   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Interstate Matches 10 - -   - - 6 3 1 60.00% List
Tour Matches Queensland Firsts 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
Tour Matches Australia 11 2 -   - 6 10 1 0 90.91% List
Test Series 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
The Ashes 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
NRL 79 12 -   - 36 51 24 4 64.56% List
City vs Country Firsts 3 1 -   - 3 2 1 0 66.67% List
National Panasonic Cup 2 - -   - - 0 2 0 0.00% List
NRL Finals 9 1 -   - 3 4 4 1 44.44% List
World Cup 8 2 -   - 6 7 1 0 87.50% List
Tour Matches New South Wales Firsts 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1974-75, 1977 10 2 -   - 6 9 1 0 90.00% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1974-1977 8 2 -   - 6 7 1 0 87.50% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
QLD Firsts 1974, 1980 4 - -   - - 0 3 1 0.00% List
NSW City Seconds 1975 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW Firsts 1975-77 8 - -   - - 7 1 0 87.50% List
NSW City Firsts 1975-77 3 1 -   - 3 2 1 0 66.67% List
Overall1974-1980 16 1 0   0 3 10 5 1 62.50% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Parramatta NSWRFL 1975 22 5 -   - 15 12 9 1 54.55% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1976 24 4 -   - 12 15 7 2 62.50% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1977 23 2 -   - 6 17 5 1 73.91% List
Manly NSWRFL 1978 10 1 -   - 3 7 3 0 70.00% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Parramatta 1975-77 69 11 -   - 33 44 21 4 63.77% List
Manly 1978 10 1 -   - 3 7 3 0 70.00% List
Overall1975-1978 79 12 0   0 36 51 24 4 64.56% List

Your Say

  • Sean Brennan
    26/04/2011

    Evening Ray. As a young boy growing up in Parramatta during the 70s spending Sunday afternoon at Cumberland Oval watching the mighty Eels go around gave me so much pleasure. I hope you and your family are all well, wish you all the best.

  • Anonymous
    11/07/2012

    I don't know if many people know Ray's nick name.

    It was "Cement Head"

  • warren zwoerner
    25/10/2012

    Ray played a season for us at Eastern Suburbs in the Warwick and District Rugby league comp at the end of his career , early 80s. Tough as nails and a nice bloke. Hope you are well, mate.

  • Mike Mortimer
    23/05/2019

    Ray was captain coach of Longreach 1979 and 1980.
    First time I tackled him, felt like running into a concrete wall. I was with Barcaldine Sand Goannas

  • Greg Semple
    07/07/2020

    Boy I remember you with affection cement head...I only wish Parra and indeed other teams had a player of your quality now. I bumped into “Rocket” up in Gove NT, in the early eighties, and we talked about that GF replay, where Saints got on top of us (Parra)...and he was amazed how soft Parra was in the replay...but he did say how hard of a player you were. Hope your well, and life is being kind to you

  • Anthony
    05/07/2023

    HIGGSY !
    An all-time legend, Charismatic and a Rock Solid Performer.....
    You can never mistake his achievements and victories that were born on the field for the mighty blue & gold.
    One of my favorite hard men of that era.
    Always remember him, I hope he is still fighting fit, in the best of good health and prosperous.
    Thank You for the memories Ray

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Contributions: Greg Fiveash, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, Paul Carter, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Bill Bates, AJ Lucantonio