Rugby League Legend Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Rob Burrow
Mike Stephenson, affectionately known as ‘Stevo’, has delivered a poignant tribute to the late rugby league legend, Rob Burrow. Stevo, a renowned commentator, was present for all but Burrow’s final season, with his last game in the commentary box being the 2016 Grand Final, a year before Burrow’s own retirement in the 2017 showpiece.
Speaking on his podcast with Eddie Hemmings, Stevo expressed his profound sadness at the loss of a true great of the game. “A truly sad day for rugby league and sport in general,” he said. “Rob was a wonderful player, an outstanding character, who for all the world looked too small and fragile to play in our body contact sport.”
Despite the doubts of many, Burrow’s ability both on and off the field proved his doubters wrong. “Many suggested he wasn’t big enough to make his mark, but those doubters soon learned of this man’s ability both on and off the field of play,” Stevo remarked.
Stevo found it challenging to encapsulate Burrow’s career in a single word, as it was a tapestry of remarkable qualities. “It’s difficult to choose one word to define his career. He was fast, courageous, tough, a star, when in fact, it was all those wrapped up into what we call a legend.”
The former commentator also praised Burrow’s inspirational fight against motor neurone disease (MND), a battle that has resonated with rugby league fans and the wider sporting community. “His fight against MND was a lesson to us all to never give in, to smile in troubled times, and to give hope to all those sufferers that one day a cure will be found for this cruel disease.”
Stevo’s fondest memories of Burrow’s playing days were of his lightning-fast pace and elusive running style. “During many years as a commentator, I often referred to him as Beep Beep the Road Runner. He was fast, he was a hard man to catch. Scoring some amazing tries, he was small in stature but a giant of our game, one of the very best.”
In a moving conclusion, Stevo expressed the enduring legacy that Burrow will leave behind. “A man who touched the hearts of every rugby league fan and the respect of anyone connected to the greatest game of all, we will never forget the little maestro. Rest in peace my friend.”
The podcast episode was a special tribute to Rob Burrow, and Stevo ended it with a poem of his own creation. As he said, “His memory will live on, of that, we all know, is certain.”
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