Eric "Ric" Dalby is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Mark Furze.

Furze trained and carried out research for the storyline, which certain media outlets compared to the 1999 film Fight Club due to their similar narratives.

Upon moving to Summer Bay, the serial implemented family links when he is revealed to be the grandson of long-standing character Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher).

Flynn Saunders (Joel McIlroy) and Sally Fletcher (Kate Ritchie) also give him a home and foster him.

Early examples include romances with Cassie Turner (Sharni Vinson) and Belle Taylor (Jessica Tovey) and a prominent relationship with his best friend Matilda Hunter (Indiana Evans).

Though, Scott Ellis from the publication opined that Ric managed to annoy nearly every regular character featured in Home and Away.

After the initial audition process Furze was called back to carry out a screen test with Ray Meagher and Indiana Evans who play Alf Stewart and Matilda Hunter respectively.

She saw beyond his rebellious exterior to the playful, insecure boy beneathPrior to his on-screen arrival, Ric's had an unhappy childhood and suffered abuse from his father Owen Dalby.

[4] Initially the serial's official website said that Ric takes "great pleasure" in bullying those who he sees as vulnerable.

[7] Ric's early relationships are played out with the characters of Cassie Turner (Sharni Vinson) and Belle Taylor (Jessica Tovey).

[11] In August 2007, it was announced that Simone McAullay had joined the guest cast of Home and Away as Viv Anderson, an older woman who would seduce Ric.

McAullay opined that because Matilda had been accusing them of cheating for weeks, that Ric thinks he has nothing left to lose so he "might as well" sleep with Viv.

"[14] While Ric and Matilda later reunite, the next part of the story arc begins and their happiness is short lived when Viv reveals that she is pregnant.

Furze said the story arc made their relationship worse because all Ric needed to do was offer Matilda his support.

[15] Matilda decides to move to Perth to attend university, and asks a reluctant Ric to join her or she will end their relationship.

[17] He added that Ric is "miserable" and even though he has a "great opportunity" working at the bait shop – "it doesn't mean anything without Matilda".

In one storyline, a "violent encounter" with Rocco Cooper (Ian Meadows) lands Ric in prison facing a murder charge.

Furze's prediction proved true when Viv's husband Noel (Steven Vidler) forces Ric to take part in Bare-knuckle boxing.

He felt that many other fictional characters that start out bad, reform to easy and that he did not want Ric's temperamental side to be sacrificed.

[24] In the research stage, professional boxer Anthony Mundine gave Furze advice and tips about the sport.

At the same time, Ric is working alongside police officer Jack Holden (Paul O'Brien) to bring the illegal fights to an end.

[27] Ric arrives to attend Summer Bay High after he is expelled from his previous school in Yabbie Creek.

Ric takes a dislike to Henry Hunter (Tobi Atkins) and starts to bully him because he likes dancing.

Tasha Andrews (Isabel Lucas) plants details of a marijuana crop on Ric which lands him into trouble.

Flynn attempts to track him down, but when Leah Patterson-Baker (Ada Nicodemou) and Dan Baker (Tim Campbell) are involved in a plane crash he helps them.

Matilda and Lucas Holden (Rhys Wakefield) visit Johnny and trick him into admitting involvement in Rocco's death.

"Ric Dalby is Home And Away's resident hothead, the character most likely to wind up in a fight, be caught kissing the wrong girl or just generally land himself in trouble [...] he's had differences of opinion or just plain fist fights with a score of Summer Bay locals and drifters, he's managed to annoy most of the regular characters and after one particularly violent encounter even wound up in jail facing a murder charge.

[33] While Greg Hassal from The Sydney Morning Herald said the episode was "well written and performed" and said the plot was a "perennial issue" for the serial to portray.

[34] Analysing Ric's jealous trait, Roz Laws from the Sunday Mercury said "it's all of five minutes before his jealousy gets the better of him, yet again" upon arriving in Perth to reunite with Matilda.

[35] She also said that Home and Away fans should just tune in to see Ric's "toned torso" and said it was a "bad move" to take on one of Johnny's gang members in a fight.