'He'll be missed forever': YEP Leeds Rhinos writer Peter Smith's tribute to Rob Burrow

“Can you come to Headingley tomorrow morning? One of our former players has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease and he wants to make it public.” No name was mentioned and the identity of the player was kept under wraps until just before the scheduled meeting.

It was clearly going to be a grim situation whoever it was, but when Rob Burrow was revealed as the person concerned, it was like a punch to the stomach. Probably every Leeds fan - and supporters of rugby league in general - felt the same. ‘Surely, not Rob!’

Life can be so cruel. Burrow was still a relatively young man, in his 30s, with a wife, two young daughters and one-year-old son. He was just beginning his coaching career and had everything to live for. Any terminal illness, by its definition, is terrible, but MND is particularly vicious, because it destroys the body and leaves the mind intact.

As Burrow’s condition progressed, he remained the same person he had always been, though without movement or speech. Burrow loved to talk so that must have been particularly hard and it was heartbreaking seeing such a thrilling, athletic player develop into the frail figure he quickly became; but if he ever felt sorry for himself, it never showed.

During his playing days Burrow was a real livewire, blessed with everything a rugby league player needs: pace, skill, footwork, an eye for a gap. Everything, that is, apart from size, but he turned even that to his advantage, tormenting the big men - which was everyone else on the field compared to him - and often leaving them looking foolish.

From his full debut, in a defeat at Warrington Wolves in the spring of 2001, Burrow scored special tries, many of them match-winners. The most famous example is his touchdown in Leeds’ historic 2011 Grand Final win over St Helens. That try will ensure rugby league immortality, but - in this writer’s opinion - it wasn’t the best scored at Old Trafford. That came in the same game and has Ryan Hall’s name on it, but Burrow was the creator, again squeezing through a gap and leaving Saints’ defence clutching at shadows. Have a look at it on YouTube. Burrow’s dummy which sends Saints centre Francis Meli into the front row of the stand - is a thing of great beauty. It should be hung in the Louvre.

Burrow could do things on a rugby field nobody else was capable of. Eight Grand Final wins, two as man of the match and one of those a unanimous vote, is testament to his quality as a player, but - more than that - he was a lovely man.

Nobody likes to speak ill of the dead, but it would be impossible to find anyone with a bad word to say about Burrow. Bradford were the visitors in January, 2020, when Headingley staged a testimonial game for Jamie Jones-Buchanan, which doubled as an MND fund-raiser.

It sold out, with Bulls’ players paying to get in. Burrow came on for a late cameo, his final playing appearance at the ground. Speaking to fans on the pitch after the final whistle, he broke down - and that’s when the chant of ‘only one Rob Burrow’ went up from the away end. It swept around the entire stadium and was a moment no one who was there will never forget.

Another personal memory is of Burrow almost missing his pre-match team talk when a Leeds academy side played a pre-season game at Coventry Bears in 2018. Everyone wanted a picture and a chat; anyone else would have brushed them off, asked them to wait until after the match, but not Burrow. He had time for everyone.

The magnificent seven is probably the individual the YEP interviewed most often during his playing days, because - no matter the circumstances - he’d always have something to say. The fact he and his family threw open their doors following his diagnosis is testament to the character of special people. They met the challenge head on and, from the very start, Burrow was determined to make a difference. He knew it was an unwinnable battle, but he was going to give it a good show and make sure he could improve others’ lives along the way.

It is tragic he wasn’t around to see the opening of the MND Centre in Leeds which will carry his name. The first turf was being cut just a day after Burrow’s death was announced and the care others receive will be a lasting legacy.

Rugby league people are generally approachable, Burrow more than most. Many of the fans mourning him today will have met him at some time or another and consequently - while it doesn’t compare to what his loved ones are going through - it feels like a personal loss and so very, very unfair. There’ll never be another Rob Burrow, it was a privilege to have known him and seen him play. He’ll be missed forever.