1. Raymond Ernest Stehr was an Australian rugby league footballer, a state and national representative player whose club career was played at Sydney's Eastern Suburbs club.
13 Facts About Ray Stehr
1. 2.
Ray Stehr has been named as one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
3.
Ray Stehr 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.
4.
Ray Stehr's 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.
5.
Nevertheless, Ray Stehr was told not to contemplate playing contact sport.
6.
Ray Stehr defied medical opinion, becoming one of rugby league's toughest front rowers.
7.
In 1934 Ray Stehr joined the Mudgee club in rural NSW as a captain-coach and captained Country in their annual clash against a Sydney representative side.
8.
In 1940 Ray Stehr was captain of the Easts side that captured its 8th premiership.
9.
Regular captain-coach Dave Brown pulled out on match day with a leg injury and Ray Stehr led the side to a victory in the final over Canterbury-Bankstown.
10.
Ray Stehr played in Test series against New Zealand and Great Britain.
11.
Ray Stehr 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.
12.
WWII brought a premature end to his test career and Ray Stehr spent war in the services.
13.
In February 2008, Ray Stehr was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.