Born in Junee, New South Wales on 11 June 1943, Warren initially followed in the footsteps of his brother by joining the police force. He initially joined the NSW Police Cadets on 5 December 1960 and then transferred to the ACT Police in Canberra in 1964. Warren stated he served a total of three years in the ACT Police during the Channel 9 broadcast of the NRL Round 23 Canberra Raiders vs Sydney Roosters match on 19 August 2018. It was during his stint in uniform he got a phone call as a result of all the door-knocking he had done at various radio stations as a teenager. Ray took the job offered to him at 2LF Young, New South Wales as a sales representative, trotting commentator and rugby league commentator - a move which started his career in broadcasting.