He's been the voice of rugby league on television for almost 40 years but what you probably didn't know about NRL commentator Ray 'Rabbits' Warren is he used to be a policeman right here in Canberra.
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Warren grew up in Junee, NSW, but moved to Ainslie with new wife Monica in 1964 when he joined the Australian Capital Territory Police Force (now ACT Policing). He'd drive down Limestone Avenue to work in a Chrysler Valiant and remembers a young Canberra that was "bloody cold".
Warren's beat included keeping the streets of Manuka safe overnight between 11pm and 7am, and in winter that was a tough gig.
"That seemed to be the favourite job they gave me - walk the beat at Manuka," Warren said.
Weeknights in Canberra were all about - what else? - rugby league for a young Warren, and the constable would line up with his police mates to compete in the Molonglo Shield. Warren didn't have a favourite position: "you just filled in wherever you were needed".
"It varied from week to week really, we didn't have much depth actually," he laughed.
"You had to be versatile because you could be hooker one day and fullback the next.
"We'd train twice a week, have a couple of schooners after training and front up and play football on the weekend."
The police team ended up getting "a little bit out of our depth" in 1965 when local rugby league legend Les McIntyre invited them to play in the Group 8 competition just over the border.
"We struggled - we weren't as serious about our footy as they were over in Queanbeyan," Warren recalled.
"I just remember Seiffert Oval being the absolute centre of rugby league for the entire region."
Warren's days as a Canberra policeman came to an end abruptly in 1966 when a telegram from Radio Station 2LF in Young literally changed his life.
"It was a simple telegram and it said 'do you still want to be a sports commentator?'," he recalled.
"I'd made an approach to a lot of Sydney [radio] stations just knocking on doors and presenting a tape of what I could do, but that was back in 1960.
"I waited a long time to get that telegram - but it finally came in '66 and I couldn't get on the phone quick enough to tell them that yes, I'd love to do that.
"I thought my chances of doing what I wanted to do were gone so I thought 'I'll just do the next best thing and follow in the footsteps of my brother' [to become a policeman] and so that's what I did.
"I honestly thought I was destined to a life in the police force in Canberra."
While Warren vehemently denies years of speculation that he's a Parramatta Eels supporter, he admits to having a weakness for our Raiders.
"I've got a very soft spot for Canberra, make no mistake about that," he said.
"I think they've got a great chance [this year] - I really do - I take note of their first round loss to Cronulla but Cronulla are the champions and they're gonna be hard to beat. It's round one and a season's a long season.
"I think the Raiders have got the personnel to really make another mark - you made a mark last year but I think you've got an even better chance this year."
After more than 51 years of calling rugby league matches - including 40 NRL grand finals and 84 State of Origin matches - Warren is still pretty hard on himself when he's in the commentary box.
"I always sit there and I'm hoping that this is the best match I'll ever call," he said.
"I'm always striving for 100 per cent myself and I bash myself up if I don't get that. Just about mistakes, that's all."
Warren will return to Canberra on Sunday 19 March 2017 to call the NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and West Tigers for Channel Nine Regional television.
