Rocky : Wed Oct 24, 2018 3:02 pm  

Derek `Rocky` Turner to be inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame next month, do we have anyone on here that was lucky enough to see him play? The people I speak to that have certainly seem to hold him as one of the greats.

Joins Neil Fox, Jonathan Parkin and Albert Aaron Rosenfeld as other Players that have pulled on the famous Wakefield Trinity shirt in the RL Hall of fame.

Re: Rocky : Wed Oct 24, 2018 3:47 pm  

Yes , I started watching Trinity in 1956 ish.
Signing him from Oldham really set the ball rolling as we began building the all conquering 60s team.
I was only a lad , but remember my Dad and uncles, all RL connoisseurs (from Sharlston) talking about his ‘hardness’ and never say die leadership attributes.
They all reckoned he had edge on Vince Karalius.

[PopTart]

Re: Rocky : Wed Oct 24, 2018 3:52 pm  

I've only seen him in vintage GB videos but he could play and was hard as they come.
Obviously he was coach here in the 80s so well known from that side and if you moved house in Stanley you might have used his company.

But most of all he is immortalised in This Sporting Life. Makes me blink every time he hits Richard Harris in close up.

Re: Rocky : Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:23 pm  

A great loose forward in an era when GB had three of the best, Karalius, Turner and Whiteley. A well deserved honour and I am lucky enough to have seen all three play.

Re: Rocky : Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:32 pm  

I saw through Rocky's full career with Trinty. A true legend in a time when there were some excellent LFs in the British game: Vinny Karalius, Johnny Whiteley et al. One of the hardest men you could ever wish to meet. I met him several times latterly in his career when he was carrying out his furniture removal business. He was always ready to talk RL, and used to litter his sentences with expletives every other word. He still looked as though he could look after himself right up to his sad passing away. There will be only ever be one Rocky Turner.

Re: Rocky : Wed Oct 24, 2018 6:18 pm  

Was at bellvue when he made is debut in the A team, never much above 13 stone he put the fear of god up the best forwards in the game in england and in the southern hemisphere, a tremendous leader his fellow teammates knew they had perform winning pay was at stake and with derecks pre match words ringing in thier ears they went out and more often than not won. He was the same as a coach he made mal reilly in his likeness at cas players played for them out of fear and respect when they were on or off the field

Re: Rocky : Wed Oct 24, 2018 7:07 pm  

There was tale about when, I think it was Yorkshire, played the Aussies. Turner was captain and in the pre-match talk he handed out instructions for his forwards to watch two of the Aussie players, and one of his team mates said well what about the rest of the Aussie forwards and Rocky said, "I'll see to them" and rumour has it he gave them a real 'seeing to'
Best Captain I've ever seen.

Re: Rocky : Wed Oct 24, 2018 9:12 pm  

Derek lived for many years in Ossett near the entrance to spring mill golf course. My dad grew up in Ossett and knew him well, and could tell loads of stories about him. Derek used to head up to the green park to have a game of touch and pass with the lads up there - when he was GB captain. A few of the lads would either be cheeky with him or try pull a fast one so he’d give them a “little one” to keep them in line. They didn’t do it again!

My dad tells a tale of a local hard man wannabe around the time who was putting word round that he could sort Turner out - when Derek caught up with him he just left him hanging off some scaffolding by his coat.

I think when he was coach at Leeds someone shouted something like “what a load of crap, Turner” as he was walking along by the stand. Derek turned and invited whoever it was to the pitch to have a “chat” about it. He didn’t bother.

It’s a shame the game seemed to fall out of his favour in later life. Try and the club might, thy couldn’t get him to come down to any of the reunions, which was a real pity.

Re: Rocky : Thu Oct 25, 2018 1:04 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

A great loose forward in an era when GB had three of the best, Karalius, Turner and Whiteley. A well deserved honour and I am lucky enough to have seen all three play.

I did too and he now joins Whiteley who has also just been inducted into the HOF. Saw them play against each other in the 1960 Challenge Cup final as team captains and the previous year play in the last GB squad to win the Ashes in England. Turner played 1 game and Whiteley 2 at LF.

'Wild Bull of the Pampas'- Vince Karalius, has been a long time in the HOF.

Re: Rocky : Thu Oct 25, 2018 6:48 pm  

Totally deserved. Met him when he moved my mum and dad into their new flat, i may have seen him play, but i was too young to notice!! Class act and was as strong as they come.