After a trade to the Saints which involved the swapping of selection 31 (Jordan Roughead) for selection 48 (Nicholas Heyne), most expected Ray to be a fringe player who could add some handy depth to the side. But he exceeded all expectations, playing in all of the Saints' 22 home and away games plus all finals in his first season at the club. He was only one of two players at the Saints to do so, the other being defender Jason Blake.