They don’t do compilation videos any more.
You know the ones: 101 Top Rugby League Tries or Scrumdown’s own version of the classic BBC VHS that kids used to pore over. Everything’s instant now. A couple of clicks and you can watch clips from games anywhere.
But it’s fair to say, Rob Burrow’s best bits - the dashing runs, trademark speed and glorious arcing, sweeping breaks that so often ended with tries - would make a quality 90 minute blockbuster. From any era. Any sport.
He was a joy to watch. And no doubt one of the reasons so many people of a certain age fell in love with rugby league. It’s often forgotten just how good he was.
Burrow’s brave and inspirational battle with motor neurone disease introduced him to a whole new audience who barely knew what rugby league was let alone who he was. And the courageous way he tackled that biggest of foes head on rightly earned him the respect and admiration of millions.
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But as the tributes pour in following the sad news about his death at the age of just 41, it’s important to not only remember the legacy he’s left in terms of MND research and awareness but also the rugby he played. As part of that brilliant Leeds Rhinos Golden Generation - Burrow, Kevin Sinfield, Danny McGuire, Jamie Peacock et al - that dominated Super League for so long, the ‘pocket rocket’ brought so much excitement and flair.
The numbers alone won’t ever do him justice but here they are: 196 tries in 492 appearances for Leeds, eight Grand Final wins, two Challenge Cups, three World Club Challenges and three League Leaders’ Shields for the club he held so dear to his heart.
That the diminutive scrum-half delivered so many times on the biggest occasions, though, says plenty and reminded people how it was so clear he’d fight and fight MND. Burrow twice won the man of the match award in the Grand Final, in 2007 and again four years later when scoring arguably the greatest ever try in the showpiece’s long history.
He was capped 15 times by England but you sense they’d have beaten Australia more often if that number was bigger; they knew how dangerous he was. I first interviewed Burrow in 2002, a year after his debut for Leeds, and was lucky enough to interview him plenty more times over the course of his decorated career.
Burrow fought MND with a smile on his face and raised so much with Leeds Rhinos pal Kevin Sinfield (Getty Images)You couldn’t meet a more down-to-earth, unassuming bloke. Always happy to chat and always with a smile. During one sit-down, it emerged a former girlfriend of mine, who lived on the same estate in his hometown of Castleford, was a childhood pal.
She and his sister had often made the younger Rob dress up as a T-Bird from Grease. He found that recollection hilarious and would often mention it again later down the line. And then casually off he’d go to set about destroying yet another defence.
RIP, Rob. And thanks for the memories.
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