Richard Turner (19 August 1932 – 16 June 2008), a.k.a. "Tosser", was a

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

manager. Turner was born in 1932 and played in the

Brisbane Rugby League The Brisbane Rugby League is a rugby league football competition in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was first held in 1922 and for every year until 1997. The competition was reinstated in 2001, known as the FOGS premiership under the Queen ...

competition for

Brisbane Norths The Northern Suburbs Devils, or North Brisbane Devils, or often simply referred to as Norths for short, are a rugby league club representing the northern suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. The team colours are sky blue, navy blue and gold. They pl ...

and Redcliffe. He also coached Redcliffe in 1968 and 1969. Turner was the Queensland state rugby league team's manager from 1982 until 1996, when he stepped down to take a role in the "Former Origin Greats" (FOGS) organisation. He was also the Australian team manager on the 1986 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain. He was also chairman of the South Queensland Crushers club during its entire existence from 1995 to 1997. In 2008, during his battle with illness he wrote a letter for the Queensland rugby league team which has been read to them for inspiration in subsequent State of Origin series. He died as chairman of FOGS on 16 June 2008 because of long-term illness. That year he won the "Service to Sport Award" at the Queensland Sport Awards. Actor Michael Caton inherited Turner's cultural ambassador role with the Queensland rugby league team. During the

2009 State of Origin series The 2009 State of Origin series was the 28th time that the State of Origin series, annual three-game series between the Queensland rugby league team, Queensland and New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales representative rugby league foo ...

, he was honoured outside

Lang Park Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

with a plaque.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Richard 1932 births 2008 deaths Australian rugby league administrators Australian rugby league coaches Australian rugby league players Norths Devils players Queensland rugby league team coaches Redcliffe Dolphins coaches Redcliffe Dolphins players