It's like losing a son
* By David Riccio
* From: The Sunday Telegraph
* September 20, 2009 12:01AM
CRAIG Bellamy's eyes glaze over when he tells the story.
It was the moment when all his emotions took over. The day he says was "like losing a son''.
Standing opposite his coach in Bellamy's Princes Park office in July, Melbourne winger Steve Turner remembers weeping openly, too.
"Yeah, it was tough ... for both of us,'' Turner says.
Turner had just broken the news to his coach, mentor and mate that he was leaving for the Bulldogs next season after eight years at the Storm.
"He had tears in his eyes,'' Bellamy said. "I don't think there have been too many guys as upset. I think I might have had a tear when he told me, too."
"I knew it was coming and he knew it was coming, but that didn't make it any easier for either of us.''
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Now, not a day goes by that Bellamy doesn't wish this year would go on forever.
It's why his voice chokes with feeling when he drops this stunning tribute during an interview with The Sunday Telegraph.
"I hated losing Israel Folau and Jeremy Smith. We had Israel as a kid and Jeremy was on the Gold Coast playing Queensland Cup when we found him ... and Michael Crocker, too,'' Bellamy explains. "He (Crocker) turned his career around when he came here, so I hated losing all those blokes."
"Matty King, too, was terrible. Clint Newton was a tremendous guy for our club."
"But I tell you, probably the hardest bloke that we've lost is the guy that we'll lose this year, Steve Turner."
"For us to lose him, it is like losing a son. And for these guys it's like losing a brother."
"You don't like losing any player that you want to keep. But it goes a little bit further with Steve Turner.''
A lean, but tough outside back who played in the Panthers' representative sides as a teenager, Turner moved to Melbourne in 2004.
The eldest of four siblings, Turner grew up with his parents in Blacktown.
He played his junior footy for the same club that spawned internationals Brad Fittler, Trent Waterhouse and Matt Geyer - Cambridge Park.
But with former premiership-winning fullback Rhys Wesser dominating the Panthers' No1 jumper, the then 19-year-old left behind his dream of playing his career out with Penrith.
"It was a tough call to leave Penrith,'' Turner said. "I'd been through the junior system at Penrith through the Harold Matthews, SG Ball, Jersey Flegg."
"It was always my dream to play with them, but I got the opportunity with the Storm and I took it.''
From day one, Bellamy warmed to Turner.
He liked his attitude - on and off the field.
A stickler for hardwork, Bellamy smiled inwardly when Turner panted through extra training and pushed through hard work that others would rather cheat.
But above all, he loved Turner's energy and enthusiasm.
"They call him Zap and that's what he is. He bounces around all the time and everyone loves him,'' Bellamy said. "He's a tremendous kid off the field. And on it, he's been a tremendous player for us. Very underrated."
"He just goes out and does his job every week. He's just a real bright spark around the place.''
It's why Bellamy stood defiant during Turner's emotionally draining contract wrangle with the Gold Coast Titans in 2007.
At the time, Turner had agreed to join the Titans until the end of 2009, only to change his mind and re-sign with the Storm for another three years.
"I remember Craig was very supportive,'' Turner says.
"I don't think he would've done it if he didn't think I couldn't contribute to the club. I'm very thankful for the support he gave me. I always will be.''
Turner claims he is looking forward to joining the Bulldogs. But emotionally, he's not yet ready to ponder life beyond next week's preliminary final.
Instead, Bellamy smiles for our camera and jokingly plants a kiss on Turner's head before speaking for both men.
"I know for me, I just want this season to go on forever for one reason,'' Bellamy said.
"That it's going to be a real sad day when he plays his last game for us.''
Was just about to ask the same thing.
