Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the name and image of a deceased Indigenous person.
The NRL world, in particular the South Sydney Rabbitohs, has been rocked by the death of 2014 Grand Final winner Kyle Turner.
Aged 31, Turner suddenly passed away in his hometown of Coonabarabran this week.
Turner would make his NRL debut in 2014 for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and his rugby league career would last for 91 games and six seasons between 2014-2019. Released by the club due to salary cap constraints, he retired from the sport the following year.
After announcing his retirement from the sport of rugby league, he worked as a physical education teacher at the local high school he formerly attended as a student and made a surprise comeback to the sport in 2021 with the Coonabarabran Unicorns.
His most memorable rugby league moment would be being selected to play in the South Sydney Rabbitohs Grand Final win against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2014. In a team that featured the likes of the Burgess Brothers (Sam, George, Tom), Chris McQueen, John Sutton and Ben Teo'o in the forwards, Turner played off the interchange bench.
Turner was also a popular player and represented the Indigenous All-Stars and NSW Country. He was actually first discovered whilst appearing for the Under 16s NSW Indigenous team.
Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly said Mr Turner will be remembered very fondly by everyone connected with the Club in a statement put out on Saturday.
“Kyle was an amazing human being,” Mr Solly said.
“He epitomised the country boy Rugby League player. He was such a tough, uncompromising player on the field, yet a lovely, generous man off the field.
“Over his nine years with our Club he contributed a lot of time to Souths Cares and was very popular amongst his teammates, colleagues, our Members and supporters alike.
“We offer our full support to his family and friends at this very difficult time, and he will always be remembered at our Club as a man that delivered a premiership to the Rabbitohs, but also a man that connected deeply with his communities.
“We will hold him close to our hearts for the rest of this season and in the years to come. Vale Kyle Turner.”
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