Ray Stone has claims to being the toughest man in the NRL.
Not that the Dolphins’ warrior would care two hoots for the title as he nears retirement at the end of the 2026 season at the tender age of 29.
But there was a reason coach Kristian Woolf singled him out at last year’s presentation night for playing the last six rounds with a broken hand and final 15 rounds with needles in both shoulders.
He had off-season shoulder surgery after pushing himself to play when the Dolphins had multiple forwards on the injured list.
Stone is one of those players who performs when busted. When fit and relatively injury-free, though, he is even more dangerous.
“There are a lot of tough men who play our game but he is in the top group,”
Woolf said.
“It is not just his toughness, it’s his commitment to the team that I really admire.
“He is just a guy who refuses to let his teammates down. It doesn’t matter if it is playing injured, he is making an effort on a kick-chase, getting into a tackle or a carry.
“I love his hit-ups off the kick-off. I get a kick out of watching those because he runs so hard. He is just committed to the team. That is what we are going to miss.”
Stone has been linked to a boxing career but AAP understands he has obtained multiple tickets in trade areas and will only get in a ring if he sees fit. He can hold them up, as the saying goes.
“It is probably based on family time for me,” Stone said, when asked why he was calling time.
“The kids are getting a bit older and I am quite busy on weekends so I want to be a part of that.”
Woolf wanted him on deck in 2027.
“I have spoken to him a number of times and asked if I could change his mind but he has got other things in life he wants to do,” the coach said.
“I respect that about him. He knows what he wants. He has pushed himself through the pain.”
Stone was the second player signed at the Dolphins after starting his NRL career at Parramatta, where he played 31 matches in five seasons. At the Dolphins, he has notched 81 games in four years.
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf has tried his very best to convince Stone to play on next season.
“The reason I came up here was for opportunity,” he said.
“I was in and out of first-grade at Parramatta where we had a strong team and I spoke to Wayne Bennett about coming here and he said I’d be more of a consistent first-grader.”
The warhorse, who plays mostly off the bench, has scored eight tries for the Dolphins but, like an old-school footy player of the past, he doesn’t smile after any.
“It’s not something I stress about,” Stone said, through gritted teeth.
“I like to leave all my celebrating until after the game when the boys have got the result.”
The Dolphins have won 16 of their last 18 matches coming into Friday night’s NRL preliminary final. (Getty Images: Matt King)
He’s done plenty of that this year, with the Dolphins winning 16 of their last 18 matches ahead of the preliminary final against Sydney Roosters.
“This year I’ve been a lot healthier and the squad has too, which has definitely helped our middle rotation,” Stone said.
“Last year, pretty much our whole starting pack was in rehab. The minutes have been distributed a lot more which has helped me stay healthy.”
Woolf is just glad to have Stone in the team after he missed the early rounds with his shoulder recovery.
“We did miss him too. He is a small man in a big man’s world who plays so tough,” Woolf said.
“He is loved, respected and will be missed next year.
“He is going to leave a legacy that people don’t realise. There are no discipline issues around Ray. He turns up and gets his job done every day of every week.”
AAP
Discussion about this post