‘So sad’: Rugby league legend Robert ‘Rocky’ Laurie dead at 66

The rugby league community is mourning the death of Robert “Rocky” Laurie, the first recipient of the coveted Dally M medal.

Dally M Footballer of the Year Robert Laurie holding his trophy at the awards night in Sydney.

The rugby league community is mourning the death of Robert “Rocky” Laurie, the first recipient of the Dally M Medal.

On Saturday evening, The Daily Telegraph reported the former Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney five-eighth had passed away aged 66.

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Laurie played 122 first-grade games between 1976 and 1982, scoring 28 tries.

He was awarded the Dally M Medal in 1980 following a remarkable campaign with the Rabbitohs — he remains the only South Sydney player to have ever won the coveted prize.

“You knew if you passed the ball to him or were running off him that something might happen,” former Rabbitohs teammate David Sinclair told NRL.com in 2020.

“We had a good combination, we weren’t big talkers on the field but I tracked him a lot and I gave the ball to him as much as I could. I thought if I gave him an early ball he might create something so I just fed him as much as I could.”

RIP former Souths and Roosters star Robert ‘Rocky’ Laurie - the first Dally M Medal winner in 1980. pic.twitter.com/umH2lOVkk5

— The Mole (@9_Moley) June 4, 2022

Rocky Laurie was my great @SSFCRABBITOHS hero. So sad to hear about his passing. 😑

— Chris Smith (@chrissmithonair) June 4, 2022

Sad day for rugby league with the death of former Easts, Souths and NSW five-eighth Robert ‘Rocky’ Laurie this morning in Wauchope after a long battle with mental illness. He was the first Dally M Medal winner back in 1980.

— Barry Toohey (@BarryToohey) June 4, 2022

South Sydney centre Gary Wright continued: “Our team that year wasn’t all that strong and in my view Rocky was the most outstanding player in the team so if our team was winning and Rocky was the best player he was going to get (Dally M) points, and he deserved it. He was an excellent player to play with.

“Rocky was inspirational. He was the sort of bloke who wanted the ball all the time. He wasn’t afraid to do things on the field, which was also great. He was a good talker on the field and good to play next to.”

Laurie represented the New South Wales Blues once in 1981, also playing for the City NSW side that same year.