Lee Crooks (rugby league)
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England | 18 September 1963|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 15 st 12 lb (101 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Prop, Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lee Crooks (born 18 September 1963) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and coached in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hull FC, Western Suburbs Magpies, Balmain Tigers, Leeds and Castleford, as a prop or second-row,[1] captain of Hull during the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons,[4] and coached at representative level for Serbia, and at club level for Keighley and York.[2]
Background
Lee Crooks was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
Playing career
Club career
Hull
Crooks started his career at Hull, signing with the club in September 1980, on his 17th birthday. He made his debut in November 1980 against Salford,[5] and went on to make 208 appearances for the club.[6] He also played in three Challenge Cup Finals with the club.
Crooks first cup final was during the
During the
Crooks played second-row in the 13–2 victory over Castleford in the 1983–84 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1983–84 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday 15 October 1983.
In the
Crooks played
Western Suburbs
While at Hull, Crooks spent the 1985 and 1986 NSWRL season with Western Suburbs Magpies. He scored a try on his debut against Penrith Panthers.[10]
In 2010, Crooks was named in the Magpies Team of the Eighties.[11]
Leeds
In June 1987, Crooks was sold to Leeds for a world record transfer fee of £150,000.[12]
Crooks played
on Sunday 16 October 1988.During his time at Leeds, Crooks struggled with off-the-field problems and was eventually transfer listed.[13]
Castleford
In January 1990, Crooks was signed by Castleford for a fee of £150,000.[14]
Crooks played at
Crooks played at
on Sunday 20 October 1991.He also played in Castleford's 33-2 victory over Wigan in the
Representative honours
Crooks became the youngest ever Great Britain
Crooks won 19
Crooks also won a
Crooks won a cap for England while at Castleford in 1992 against Wales.
Coaching career
He coached Serbia in their 2013 Rugby League World Cup qualifying campaign. In February 2014, Crooks joined the Rugby Football League (RFL) again this time in the role of England Regional Performance Coach for the North East. He will oversee the coaching at the RFL's North East Academy, as well as helping to develop community clubs in the region where he intends to build on the great work that was done by his predecessor Andy Kelly.
Personal life
Crooks married aged 17,[18] but got divorced in 1986. His second wife Karen is the sister of former Hull teammate, Steve Norton.[5] He is the father of the rugby league footballer; Ben Crooks.[19]
References
- ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Player Summary: Lee Crooks". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ "Coaches and Captains". hullfc.com. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- ^ a b de la Rivière, Richard (27 February 2021). "Rugby League Heroes: Lee Crooks (Part 1)". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ "December - A Great Month For FC's Hall Of Fame". Hull F.C. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ "A complete history of Hull FC's Challenge Cup finals". Hull Daily Mail. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ "1984–1985 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ^ "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". independent.co.uk. 20 August 1995. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- ^ de la Rivière, Richard (5 March 2021). "Rugby League Heroes: Lee Crooks (Part 2)". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ "VEST, KEATO, COGGER ALL HONOURED". weststigers.com.au. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ "Crooks moves for £150,000". Hull Daily Mail. 2 June 1987. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ProQuest 187094174.
- ProQuest 187099889.
- ^ "2nd May 1992: Wigan 28 Castleford 12 (Challenge Cup Final)". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- ^ "Wigan 2 - 33 Castleford". thecastlefordtigers.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ^ "Statistics at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk". 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ "'Mentally and physically it was crazy' - Lee Crooks opens up on his struggles with pressure, teenage stardom and complacency". Hull Daily Mail. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ "Statistics at hullfc.com". hullfc.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
External links
- (archived by web.archive.org) Profile at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk
- (archived by web.archive.org) Stats → PastPlayers → C at hullfc.com
- (archived by web.archive.org) Statistics at hullfc.com