RIP Derek 'Rocky' Turner



I'm not going to say too much about him as a player other than as we all know he was a Wakefield Trinity legend whose name was feared and revered in equal measure all across the rugby league playing world



Derek was the first team coach when I signed professional for Wakefield Trinity and he very much took me under his wing, something which I will always cherish and to be grateful for .



I had occasions over the last 25years or so to meet with Derek and his passion for the game always shone through in the conversations we had. It was a shame that he never accepted the many invitations he had to attend events in his honour but that shouldn't be seen as anything other than his decision to move on after rugby and not let his whole life to be defined by his deeds as a young man.



There are many people who deserve a minutes silence before a game but Derek is amongst the tiny minority of players who would deserve five minutes if it were possible.



I'm sure the club will recognise the significance of Derek Turners passing and I hope the wider Rugby League world do the same, he was one player who genuinely deserves it

The man had that winning mentality that all the greats of any sport have RIP to a Trinity great

I'm a Leeds fan Derek Turner his name "Rocky" says it all .no one got the better of him and he was capt of the greatest club RL side I have ever seen.RIP Derek Turner

RIP rocky a true legend of wakefield trinity.my dad told me many stories about his exploits on the field.a true leader of men will be sadly missed .condolences to his family and friends

Cannot add anything to what has been said.

R.I.P 'Rocky'.

Rip Rocky a great player and captain of a great team

RIP Rocky, as a kid I watched you play for Trin and later was grateful to you for being a winning coach at Cas.

RIP Rocky.

Never had a player/captain of his stature since his retirement. Never will.

I was lucky enough to see him play .



Perhaps one of the greatest players to never publish his biography. Would be great if someone could, it would make a fantastic read.

Rip rocky never saw him play but my dad said he led from the front end off brilliant capt and leader

I don't know if it's apocryphal or genuine, but wasn't there a tale that during the filming of This Sporting Life, the Director asked Rocky to go a bit harder at Richard Harris, to give the scene some verisimilitude - so he clattered Harris, landed him in Pinderfields and shut down filming for the rest of the day?



RIP Derek - very sad news.

Like many on here I was lucky to see turner at his peak ,never above 14stone but as an enforcer as vast man says there was no better when Aussie greats like johnny raper describes him as the hardest player he'd faced. Vasty talks about mal reilley another great loose forward who came under Derek's influence at cas and I can assure you he modelled himself both as a player and a coach on rocky . His pre match team talks Saturday lunchtime in Talbot and falcon were legendery and lads like budgie firth and mal Sampson were ready to face owt better to face a fierce Wigan or saints pack or an unhappy rocky who never looked forward to loosing pay RIP dereck