Career Record for Featherstone
Appearances			Tries	Goals	Drop Goals	Points
Total	Start	Sub
392	382	10	75	1200	10	2656

Throughout the history of Featherstone Rovers, there has been a tendency in their transfer dealings for the big signings to be relatively unsuccessful and the more modest signings to be excellent value for money.  Steve Quinn must rate as the bargain of the century. In January 1976 his career with home-town York had stalled after 353 goals and 117 appearances in a five-year stint. He did not wish to play again for York and had been transfer-listed at £500. Rovers coach Keith Goulding recommended that the Rovers sign him and in his first outing with the reserves at Hull KR he kicked five goals out of six, and prompted the Rovers official with the team to insist that he be brought straight into the senior team - he was. On his debut at home to Wakefield in the first round of the Challenge Cup on 15 February 1976, he kicked four goals in the 23-9 win and the Steve Quinn phenomenon had begun.

He scored 3 tries and 39 goals in 10 appearances in his first season as Rovers finished runners-up in the First Division. In the following season, they surpassed themselves.  Although there was initial disappointment in yet another Yorkshire Cup final defeat, against Leeds in October, with a rampant pack and lively backs and the unswerving consistency of Quinn's goal-kicking, they took the First Division title for the first time in their history. Quinn played in all 41 games setting up new records for goals (152) and points (328) scored and equalling Tommy Smales fastest century of points in nine matches. After the excellence of 1977, it was almost unbelievable that the Rovers should be relegated to the Second Division two years later, but the absence of Quinn, who only made 14 appearances, was significant.

The team bounced back in fine style as Second Division champions in 1979/80, with Steve Quinn again to the fore with another record-breaking season. He broke his own club records for goals (163) and points (375) in a season (and headed the League's lists), and set up new records by playing and scoring in all 31 games, and scoring 29 points (10 goals and 3 tries) against Doncaster in November 1979 (beating Don Fox's record of 27).He also equalled the record for the fastest century of goals in 18 games, shared with David Watkins of Salford and Bernard Ganley of Oldham. Not surprisingly, he won both the Second Division and the club's Player of the Year awards.

And there was more. He continued into 1980/81 and 1981/82 with two more centuries of goals (115 and 119) which helped the Rovers retain their First Division status. His four goals v Castleford in August 1981 enabled him to break Cyril Kellett's record 557 goals for the club. His three goals against Warrington meant that he had overhauled Don Fox's all-time record of 1,492 career points, but there was even more glory at the end of that 1982/83 season. Against the odds, the Rovers again confounded the critics by reaching the 1983 Cup Final to meet Hull, already League Champions and red hot favourites against a team occupying a 14^th position in the league. After a lean spell with his marksmanship (by his standards), Quinn missed his first touchline kick after Hobbs's first try before hitting three out of three. With three minutes to go and the scores level, Rovers were awarded another penalty and calm and collected (outwardly at least), Quinn stepped up to kick his fourth goal and win the match as well as writing another chapter in his Rovers career.

The points kept coming with another century of goals (127) in 1987/88 (with 10 goals and two tries against his former club), after which he was the first recipient of the club's Keith Goulding Clubman of the Year award. What effect this points-scoring had on representative calls was confined to  Yorkshire. He made his county debut on 5 October 1977 and kicked five goals in the 28-10 defeat of Cumberland, ironically at York. He made five more appearances up to 1981, with a total of 14 goals.

He was granted a testimonial in 1986/87 and the Rovers fans demonstrated how much they appreciated his efforts with a record £13,000.  By 1988 at the age of thirty-five and with 19 seasons in football, 14 of which were with the Rovers, he decided to call it a day.  His last full match was away to Widnes in the John Player competition on 13 November 1988 where he signed off with two more goals; he made his final farewell as substitute at Leeds on 11 December. Whilst the emphasis understandably has been on his points-scoring, Quinn was an accomplished footballer and although essentially a defensive centre, he still managed to score 75 tries. His goal-kicking marksmanship speaks for itself and yet he apparently never practised. Five months after his retirement he was surprised at a gathering at Post Office Road when presentations were made to him for his achievements - an indication of the affection for Featherstone's adopted son and a tribute to a remarkable sportsman.

 

Biography by Ron Bailey