Derek Turner, Rugby league player, Died at 82

  Dead Famous

Dead, Derek “Rocky” Turner born on the 18th of November 1932 and died on the 24th of July 2015 was an English professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, and coach of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, playing 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) (Heritage #654), with whom he won three Challenge Cup finals, as a Second-row, i.e. number 11 or 12, or usually Loose forward/Lock, i.e. number 13.

Rocky was head coach for Castleford at Wheldon Road fromĀ ? untilĀ ?, and is regarded as the best Castleford coach of all time.

Rocky was Head Coach for Wakefield Trinity at Belle Vue from July 1983 until February 1984.

Rocky appeared in the 1963 film This Sporting Life. The film’s director, Lindsay Anderson, instructed Rocky 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.