Lee Crooks
Personal information
Born (1963-09-18) 18 September 1963
Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Playing information
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight15 st 12 lb (101 kg)
PositionProp, Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1980–87 Hull F.C. 208 44 389 11 947
1985–86 Western Suburbs 29 3 36 1 85
1987 Balmain Tigers 11 0 7 0 14
1987–90 Leeds 56 11 29 2 104
1990–97 Castleford 222 18 596 1 1265
Total 526 76 1057 15 2415
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1985–91 Yorkshire 3 0 2 0 4
1992 England 1 1 4 0 12
1982–94 Great Britain 19 0 17 1 35
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1998–99 Keighley
2000–01 York
Total 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
2013 Serbia 3 0 0 3 0
Source: [1][2][3]

Lee Crooks (born 18 September 1963) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and coached in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hull FC, Western Suburbs Magpies, Balmain Tigers, Leeds and Castleford, as a prop or second-row,[1] captain of Hull during the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons,[4] and coached at representative level for Serbia, and at club level for Keighley and York.[2]

Background

Lee Crooks was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Playing career

Club career

Hull

Crooks started his career at Hull, signing with the club in September 1980, on his 17th birthday. He made his debut in November 1980 against Salford,[5] and went on to make 208 appearances for the club.[6] He also played in three Challenge Cup Finals with the club.

Crooks first cup final was during the 1981–82 season, when he played second-row and scored four goals in Hull's 12–4 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1981–82 John Player Trophy Final at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 23 January 1982. Crooks also appeared as a substitute (replacing second-row Mick Crane) in Hull's 14–14 draw with Widnes in the 1982 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 1 May 1982, in front of a crowd of 92,147, and started at second-row in the 18-9 victory over Widnes in the replay at Elland Road, Leeds on Wednesday 19 May 1982, in front of a crowd of 41,171.[7]

During the 1982–83 season, Crooks played at second-row, and scored two goals and two drop goals in Hull's 18–7 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1982–83 Yorkshire Cup Final at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday 2 October 1982, and played second-row in the 14–12 defeat by Featherstone Rovers in the 1983 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 7 May 1983, in front of a crowd of 84,969.

Crooks played second-row in the 13–2 victory over Castleford in the 1983–84 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1983–84 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday 15 October 1983.

In the 1984–85 season, Crooks played at prop in the 29–12 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1984–85 Yorkshire Cup Final at Boothferry Park, Hull on Saturday 27 October 1984, and played second-row in the 0–12 defeat by Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1984–85 John Player Special Trophy Final at Boothferry Park, Hull on Saturday 26 January 1985. At the end of the season, he played at prop, was captain, and scored two goals in the 24–28 defeat by Wigan in the 1985 Challenge Cup Final during the 1984–85 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 4 May 1985, in front of a crowd of 99,801,[8] in what is regarded as the most marvellous cup final in living memory,[9] which Hull narrowly lost after fighting back from 12–28 down at half-time.

Crooks played second-row, and scored four goals in the 24–31 defeat by Castleford in the 1986–87 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1986–87 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 11 October 1986.

Western Suburbs

While at Hull, Crooks spent the 1985 and 1986 NSWRL season with Western Suburbs Magpies. He scored a try on his debut against Penrith Panthers.[10]

In 2010, Crooks was named in the Magpies Team of the Eighties.[11]

Leeds

In June 1987, Crooks was sold to Leeds for a world record transfer fee of £150,000.[12]

Crooks played prop in Leeds' 33–12 victory over Castleford in the 1988 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1988–89 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Sunday 16 October 1988.

During his time at Leeds, Crooks struggled with off-the-field problems and was eventually transfer listed.[13]

Castleford

In January 1990, Crooks was signed by Castleford for a fee of £150,000.[14]

Crooks played at prop and was captain in Castleford's 12-28 defeat by Wigan in the 1992 Challenge Cup Final during the 1991–92 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 2 May 1992, in front of a crowd of 77,386.[15]

Crooks played at prop, scored a goal, and was captain in Castleford's 11-8 victory over Wakefield Trinity in the 1990 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1990–91 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Sunday 23 September 1990, and played, and was captain in the 28-6 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1991 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1991–92 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Sunday 20 October 1991.

He also played in Castleford's 33-2 victory over Wigan in the 1993–94 Regal Trophy Final during the 1993–94 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 22 January 1994.[16]

Representative honours

Crooks became the youngest ever Great Britain Test forward when he made his début aged 19 on Saturday 30 October 1982. Unfortunately his international début was soured as Australia sent shock waves through English football with a 40–4 win at Boothferry Park in Hull with Crooks providing Britain's only score with 2 penalty goals. He was selected to go on the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour.

Crooks won 19 caps for Great Britain while at Hull in 1982 against Australia (2 matches), in 1984 against France (sub), and Australia (2 matches), in 1985 against New Zealand, and New Zealand (sub), in 1986 against France (2 matches), and Australia (3 matches), in 1987 against France, while at Leeds in 1989 against France, while at Castleford in 1992 against France (2 matches), Papua New Guinea, and he was selected to go on the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand. He also played in 1994 against France.

Crooks also won a cap playing at prop for Yorkshire while at Castleford, scoring two goals in the 17-12 victory over Lancashire at Leeds' stadium on 18 September 1991.[17]

Crooks won a cap for England while at Castleford in 1992 against Wales.

Coaching career

He coached Serbia in their 2013 Rugby League World Cup qualifying campaign. In February 2014, Crooks joined the Rugby Football League (RFL) again this time in the role of England Regional Performance Coach for the North East. He will oversee the coaching at the RFL's North East Academy, as well as helping to develop community clubs in the region where he intends to build on the great work that was done by his predecessor Andy Kelly.

Personal life

Crooks married aged 17,[18] but got divorced in 1986. His second wife Karen is the sister of former Hull teammate, Steve Norton.[5] He is the father of the rugby league footballer; Ben Crooks.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "Player Summary: Lee Crooks". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  4. ↑ "Coaches and Captains". hullfc.com. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 de la Rivière, Richard (27 February 2021). "Rugby League Heroes: Lee Crooks (Part 1)". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "December - A Great Month For FC's Hall Of Fame". Hull F.C. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "A complete history of Hull FC's Challenge Cup finals". Hull Daily Mail. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "1984–1985 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  9. ↑ "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". independent.co.uk. 20 August 1995. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  10. ↑ de la Rivière, Richard (5 March 2021). "Rugby League Heroes: Lee Crooks (Part 2)". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "VEST, KEATO, COGGER ALL HONOURED". weststigers.com.au. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  12. ↑ "Crooks moves for £150,000". Hull Daily Mail. 2 June 1987. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ↑ "Leeds list Crooks". The Guardian. London. 31 October 1989. p. 17. ProQuest 187094174.
  14. ↑ "Crooks joins Castleford". The Guardian. London. 9 January 1990. p. 15. ProQuest 187099889.
  15. ↑ "2nd May 1992: Wigan 28 Castleford 12 (Challenge Cup Final)". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "Wigan 2 - 33 Castleford". thecastlefordtigers.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  17. ↑ "Statistics at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk". 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "'Mentally and physically it was crazy' - Lee Crooks opens up on his struggles with pressure, teenage stardom and complacency". Hull Daily Mail. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "Statistics at hullfc.com". hullfc.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
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