Oldham legend ‘Rocky’ Turner dies (82)

A rampaging Derek Turner in action against Workington in 1958.

Oldham Rugby League Club legend Derek Turner has died in Wakefield at the age of 82.

Known as ‘Rocky’ throughout the rugby league world, he was a loose-forward of exceptional talent, who ranked alongside centre Alan Davies as the best of the best in the great Oldham side that won the sport’s Championship Finalin Bradford in 1957.

During that magical period in the club’s history, Turner was feared throughout the sport – at international level, too – as a loose-forward who was rough, tough and exceptionally gifted and a ferocious tackler.

Derek signed for Oldham from Hull KR in 1955 and made 134 appearances, scoring 35 tries, before being transferred to Wakefield Trinity in 1958. The best of his 134 games in the crack Watersheddings side of the late ’50s was that championship final at Bradford, when Oldham beat Hull 15-14 in front of more than 62,000 people.

At that time, Hull’s equally famous loose forward Johnny Whiteley formed a triumvirate of brilliant British No 13s with Turner and Vince Karalius of St Helens. The Great Britain selectors struggled to decide who was the best, often picking two of them in the second-row with the other at loose-forward.

With Turner, Oldham also won the Lancashire Cup in 1956, 1957 and 1958. He won 11 Great Britain caps while at Watersheddings, but his big regret was that Oldham never reached the Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

Later, as a coach, Turner led Castleford to similar cup success in 1969 and then did the same for Leeds in 1972.