Terry Crook

Terry Crook (birth registered fourth ¼ 1947[3]), also known by the nickname of "TC", is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1980s. He played at representative level for Yorkshire, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity (Heritage No. 735 (two spells), Bramley and Batley (player-coach), as a fullback, wing, or centre, i.e. number 1, 2 or 5, or, 3 or 4,[1] and coached at club level for Batley and Dewsbury.[2]

Terry Crook

Personal information
Born	fourth ¼ 1947 (age 73–74) Outwood, Wakefield, England
Playing information
Position	Fullback, Wing, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1967–77 Wakefield Trinity 223 43 325 3 782 >1977–79± Bramley 1979–82 Wakefield Trinity 17 0 0 0 0 1982–84 Batley Total 240 43 325 3 782 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1977 Yorkshire 1 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1982–84 Batley 1987–88 Dewsbury Total 0 0 0 0
Source: [1] [2]

Background

Terry Crook was born in Outwood, Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire,

Playing career

County honours (Yorkshire)

Terry Crook represented Yorkshire in 1977. Yorkshire played Lancashire at Castleford on 1 March 1977 when TC received his 'county call up' in the centres. Yorkshire won 18–13 with the 'White Rose' team being: Keith Mumby, Peter Muscroft, Terry Crook, Bill Francis, John Atkinson, David Topliss, Gary Stephens, Jimmy Thompson, David Ward, Vince Farrar, Paul Rose, Phil Lowe, Steve Norton. Subs: Nigel Stephenson, Sammy Lloyd. Muscroft, Ward, Lowe and Stephesnon scored the tries with Mumby (1) and Lloyd (2) kicking the goals

Club career (Wakefield Trinity)

Terry Crook signed for Wakefield Trinity in April 1967, from the Wakefield Trinity Juniors, making his début in an away league game at Keighley on 11 October 1967, Wakefield Trinity winning 21–19. He played three games in that first 1967–68 season with his second ever game against the 1967 Australian Kangaroos, TC lining up against Graeme Langlands and Ken Irvine. Although not part of the team he was part of the club that won the 1967 and 1968 RL Championships as well as Wembley 1968. He scored his first try at Keighley in November 1969, but it was not until the 1971–72 season that he started to establish himself as a first team regular, playing eleven games at full back with six on the wing. He also kicked 32 goals in this season, including nine against Workington Town in September 1971, three off the club record, extending this to ten goals in the home game with Batley in December 1971, two off the club record.

The following season saw him move into the centres and playing another 30 games. In October 1973 he played against the Australian Kangaroos for a second time, this time lining up against Mick Cronin and Steve Rogers in the centres. Terry Crook played right-centre, i.e. number 3, and scored a goal in Wakefield Trinity's 2–7 defeat by Leeds in the 1973 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1973–74 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 20 October 1973, and played right-centre, i.e. number 3, and scored 2-goals in the 13–16 defeat by Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1974 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1974–75 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 26 October 1974. He also reached 'one step from Wembley' after Wakefield Trinity were defeated in the 1975 RL Challenge Cup semi-final, 7–13 by Widnes. Appearances and goals continued over the following years, earning TC a testimonial in 1977, the same year he gained his only Yorkshire appearance. Surprisingly he was transferred to Bramley after his testimonial year. He played his last game of his first stint, at loose forward at Salford in December 1977.

He returned to Belle Vue a year later and played in the second row at Castleford in the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy in September 1979. He was now part of the coaching staff and played 13 games in the 1979–80 season. Another game followed in 1980–81 with his final three coming in 1981–82. His last ever Wakefield Trinity game was at Whitehaven in a 9–9 draw on 3 January 1982, playing at full back. His final Wakefield Trinity total read ... Played: 240, Tries: 43, Goals: 325, dg (1pt): 3; Points: 782. His goals see him positioned in 7th on the all-time Wakefield Trinity goal kickers and points see him lie in 8th in Wakefield Trinity's all-time points scoring lists, during his time at Wakefield Trinity he scored forty 3-point tries and, three 4-point tries.

Drop-goals (field-goals)

Terry Crook appears to have scored three drop-goals (or field-goals as they are currently known in Australasia) for Wakefield Trinity, but prior to the 1974–75 season all goals, whether; conversions, penalties, or drop-goals, scored 2-points, consequently prior to this date drop-goals were often not explicitly documented.

Coaching career

When Terry re-signed for Wakefield Trinity in 1979 he joined the coaching set up with responsibility for the Wakefield Trinity Colts team. He then moved to Batley, in 1982, as player-coach from June 1982 to November 1984, this was followed by a move to Dewsbury, in April 1987 to December 1988, before moving back to Wakefield Trinity in 1991 to take up the role of coach to Wakefield Trinity's fledgling Academy team. He also coached Yorkshire's Academy side in 1991–92. He also spent ten years at Stanley Rangers coaching a junior team from Under-9s to Under-17s, which included players such as Nigel Wright, Richard Goddard, Steve McCurrie, Paul Crook, Darren Rogers, Barry Eaton, Carl Briggs and Michael 'Mickey' Clarkson.

References

1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
2. "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
3. "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

External links

• (archived by web.archive.org) Wakefield Trinity Wildcats – Interview with TC