See how South Sydney paid a touching tribute to Rabbitohs premiership winner Kyle Turner after his sudden death aged just 31 shocked the footy world

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have paid a heartfelt tribute to Grand Final winning star Kyle Turner after his death at just 31 years old left the team and the wider football world in a state of mourning.

Turner died in his hometown of Coonabarabran on Friday, and the news sent shock and disbelief among his former teammates, opponents and NRL fans.

The late star shot to sporting stardom when he played for the Rabbitohs in their 2014 grand final victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs during his first year in the NRL.

Able to play anywhere in the back row, Turner made 91 first-class appearances for the Rabbitohs between 2014 and 2019.

The club remembered him during their match against Newcastle on Sunday by taking his number 15 shirt out of contention and asking one of the team’s greats to place it on the bench where the substitutes usually sit.

John Sutton – who led the Bunnies to that 2014 premiership and is currently a trainer with the side – was tasked with bringing Turner’s top onto the pitch at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium.

The team also wore black armbands in his honor.

Turner started from the bench in the drought-breaking major final win of 2014, the culmination of a rookie season in which he played 24 games.

A hugely popular figure with his Bunnies teammates and the club’s fans, Turner’s death prompted his South Sydney teammate George Burgess to write, “I’m speechless at this news, how are we saving each other’s lives?” Or can we even? This hurts my heart so much.’

Bunnies CEO Blake Solly said how deeply the loss of Turner has affected the club.

“Kyle was a wonderful human being,” he said.

“He epitomized the country boy rugby league player. He was such a tough, uncompromising player on the field, yet a sweet, generous man off the field.

Adam Reynolds (third from left) posted this tribute to Turner (bottom, centre) and shows them pictured with several other teammates from the 2014 premiership winning Bunnies team

We will hold him close to our hearts for the rest of this season and for years to come. Vale Kyle Turner.”

The striker suffered a serious neck injury in 2015 which required him to undergo disc replacement surgery, but returned to the field and was awarded the Burrow Supporters Group Appreciation Award which identified him as the fans’ favorite player in 2016.

He recovered and remained a regular until 2019 when he was unlinked from the Rabbitohs after making a total of 91 appearances for the side.

Turner retired at the age of 27 and moved back to his hometown in rural NSW, where he became a teacher and continued to play the local rugby league.

He also continued to perform for the Rabbitohs Souths Cares programme.

His death prompted NRL star Nicho Hynes to post: ‘Very devastating news. Check in on your friends folks. Sending love to the Turner family.”

Turner played 91 first grade games for Souths before returning to his hometown of Coonabarabran in NSW to become a school teacher

Indigenous Bulldogs star and New South Wales and Australia representative Josh Addo-Carr posted: “RIP cuz condolences to his mafia.”

Another of Turner’s teammates from 2014, current Brisbane Broncos star Adam Reynolds, posted a photo of him with the striker and several other Souths stars from that year’s premiership win, accompanied by a heartbroken emoji.

A childhood friend of Turner posted his tribute with the image of the Coonabarabran Unicorns decal with a black belt.

“Kyle Turner has been one of my good friends since childhood. I wrote a lot of stories for the local newspaper, played countless games with him and shared a lot of great memories,” they wrote.

“My dearest is a hug along the fence after the 2014 GF. Heartbreaking. Forever a Unicorn.’