Derek Turner
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Born | [1] Ossett, England | 13 November 1932||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 31 July 2015 Wakefield, England | (aged 82)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 13 st 7 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Second-row, Loose forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Derek Turner (13 November 1932 – 31 July 2015), also known by the nickname of "Rocky", was an English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and coached in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England, Yorkshire and Great Britain & France, and at club level for Hull Kingston Rovers, Oldham and Wakefield Trinity (captain), with whom he won three Challenge Cup Finals, as a second-row, or more usually loose forward,[2][5] and coached at club level for Castleford, Leeds and Wakefield Trinity.[6][7]
Club career
Turner played his early rugby league at Cathedral Boys School, Wakefield, then Alverthorpe Youth Club, Balne Lane ARLFC, Ossett ARLFC, and Shaw Cross ARLFC, he began his professional rugby league career at Hull Kingston Rovers.[8] In 1955, Turner was transferred from Hull Kingston Rovers to Oldham for £2,750 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £165,900 in 2016).[9]
Turner made his début for
At Wakefield Trinity Turner captained
Turner played
Whilst at Wakefield Trinity, Turner won the remaining 13 of his 24 Great Britain caps, winning the World Cup in 1960 and the Ashes in 1959 & 1962, he also won his sole England cap.
Turner retired in 1964 but returned to play a further 24 matches for Trinity in the 1965–66 season before an injury in the first match of the 1966–67 season brought his playing career to an end.[11]
Representative career
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Turner played for Yorkshire against Lancashire in ten Rugby League War of the Roses matches, scoring two tries.
Alongside fellow Oldham player,
Just prior to the 1957 World Cup, Turner played in all three of Great Britain's matches against
.Alongside fellow Oldham players, centre Alan Davies, and second-row Sid Little, Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in the 1957 Rugby League World Cup in Australia. Turner played in the 23–5 victory over France at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, the 6–31 defeat by Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, and the 29–21 defeat by New Zealand at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. Australia ran out comfortable World Champions, with victories over New Zealand, Great Britain and France. Despite suffering a heavier defeat by Australia than either New Zealand or France, Great Britain's heavy victory over France in the opening match, France's narrow victory over New Zealand, and Great Britain's narrow defeat by New Zealand in the last match secured Great Britain second place overall. Great Britain had the luxury of playing all their matches at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, whereas New Zealand and France had to play at both the Gabba, Brisbane, and Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, which are 575-miles apart.
Turner played loose forward and scored a try in Great Britain & France's 37–31 victory over New Zealand at Carlaw Park, Auckland on 3 July 1957.
Just after to the 1957 World Cup, Turner played in both of Great Britain's matches against France, alternating between venues in Great Britain and France. Great Britain won both tests; 14–25 at Stade Municipal, Toulouse; 44–15 at Central Park, Wigan.
In 1958, Turner played for Great Britain in the 23–9 defeat by France at Stade Lesdiguières, Grenoble.
Alongside fellow Oldham players, centre Alan Davies, and scrum-half Frank Pitchford, Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in 1958 tour of Australia, but had to withdraw because of an injury.
Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in Australia's
Just prior to the 1960 World Cup, Turner played in all three of Great Britain's matches against France, alternating between venues in France and Great Britain. Great Britain won one, drew one and lost one of the fixtures: France won 20–18 at Stade Municipal, Toulouse. On 65 minutes a colossal brawl erupted when Georges Fages kicked Turner on the chin following Turner's tackle on Fages. When the dust settled Turner was ordered off, but five minutes elapsed before he was finally escorted from the field by Bill Fallowfield, secretary of the Rugby Football League. The British players waited for Fages to go, but in vain. There was 17–17 draw at Knowsley Road, St Helens; Great Britain won 21–10 at Stade André Moga, Bordeaux.
Alongside fellow Wakefield Trinity player prop Jack Wilkinson, Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in the 1960 Rugby League World Cup in Great Britain. Turner played in the 23–8 victory over New Zealand at Odsal, Bradford, rested on Saturday 1 October 1960 for the 33–7 victory over France at Station Road, Swinton, Turner returned for the last match of the series against Australia at Odsal, Bradford. The 1960 Rugby League World Cup was run on a league basis, but with both Great Britain and Australia undefeated, the last match became a virtual World Cup Final. Great Britain become World Champions with the 10–3 victory over Australia at Odsal, Bradford.
In 1961, Turner played for Great Britain in the 27–8 victory over France at Knowsley Road, St. Helens. Unusually, Turner played as a second-row, with Vince Karalius playing loose forward.
Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in New Zealand's 1961 Tour of Great Britain, Turner played in the first of the three matches, the 11–29 defeat by New Zealand at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds.
In 1962 Turner played his sole
Alongside fellow Wakefield Trinity players,
In Australia, Turner scored a try in the 31–12 victory in the first Test at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (before more than 70,000 fans), was rested for the 17–10 victory in the second Test in the Gabba, Brisbane (attendance 34,786), and returned for the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. In the third Test of the 1962 Ashes series, Australia's Dud Beattie suffered a broken collarbone, and knowing he would have to leave the field anyway (Substitutions not being permitted until 1964), Beattie ignited a fight with Turner, it resulted in the referee sending both players from the field. As Beattie was being half-carried from the arena by an ambulance man, Turner prodded and remonstrated with Beattie for his actions. A controversial last-minute Ken Irvine try against the weakened defence, Mick Sullivan having already been sent off, and the subsequent touchline goal resulted in a 17–18 defeat, although a whitewash was denied, Great Britain won the Ashes series 2–1.
After the Australia Ashes Tests, With Eric Ashton (Captain), Alex Murphy and Don Fox injured, Turner took over the captaincy for the two tests in New Zealand. However, these and other injuries depleted the squad to such an extent that both tests in Carlaw Park, Auckland were lost 0–19 and 8–27.
After the New Zealand Tests, only fourteen players from the original squad of twenty-five were uninjured, thirteen of whom went on to play three exhibition matches in South Africa. Despite being top try scorer, with 22 tries in the tests,
In 1962, Turner played his last match for Great Britain in the 17–12 defeat by France at Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan.
Coaching career
After retiring from the field Turner was head coach for Castleford at Wheldon Road from 1966 until Saturday 24 May 1969, and is regarded as the best Castleford coach of all time.[12] During his period as coach Castleford won the Challenge Cup in 1969 as well as reaching the Yorkshire Cup Final and Premiership Final.[11]
Leaving Castleford Turner became coach at Leeds between 1969 and 1972. He coached Leeds to victory in the Championship Final in 1972.[11]
Derek Turner was the
Turner was Head Coach for Wakefield Trinity at Belle Vue from July 1983 until February 1984.
Film career
Turner appeared in the 1963 film This Sporting Life. The film's director, Lindsay Anderson, instructed Turner to make a scene where the main character Frank Machin loses seven teeth, following a scrum, look realistic. Richard Harris who was playing Frank Machin was knocked out, and filming for the day was abandoned.[11]
Peer accolades
In 2003, BBC Rugby League commentator Ray French was asked to name the six 'hardest' men ever to play Rugby League, he named Turner along with; Vince Karalius, Barrie McDermott, Ray Price, Gorden Tallis & Cliff Watson.[13]
According to Lion
Personal life
For a number of years, Turner and his son Darren ran a removals business, Derek Turner Ltd, based in Ossett near Wakefield.
References
Sources
- Bamford, Maurice (8 July 2005). Play to Win: Rugby League Heroes. London League Publications Ltd. ISBN 1-903659-21-3.
- Gate, Robert (10 May 2008). Rugby League Lions: 100 Years of Test Matches. Vertical Editions. ISBN 978-1-904091-25-7.
Notes
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (22 October 2015). "Derek Turner: Rugby league back-rower nicknamed Rocky who won the Challenge Cup as both pläyer and coäch". The Independent. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Wakefield Trinity legend Turner dies". Yorkshire Evening Post. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
- ^ "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Coach Statistics at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk". 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Derek Turner Obituary". wakefieldwildcats.co.uk. 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Rugby League – The Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium". Wembley Stadium. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d Marsden, Lorraine (10 August 2015). "Death of a Rugby League winner". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 2979. p. 36.
- ^ "The Tigers Dream Team". Castleford Tigers. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
- ^ "French Lessons – Hardest players". BBC. 23 April 2003. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ^ "Phil Jackson Interview". rl1908. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 5 January 2003. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
External links
- A .ram Audio file of Derek Turner Receiving Challenge Cup from Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
- French lessons Archived 16 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- The Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust > Hall of Fame
- (archived by web.archive.org) Shaw Cross Sharks > Hall of Fame
- Vote for rugby league's greatest ever British XIII
- Challenge Cup Finals 1960–62 on YouTube
- Rugby League Cup Final 1960
- Wakefield Win Cup 1962
- Rugby League Final 1963