THERE were four sad deaths reported last week.

Scott Dureau, a halfback, played for the Catalans Dragons for five seasons from 2011 to 2015.

In 2012 he won the Albert Goldthorpe Medal and we had a ceremony at St Helens where we presented him with it.

It was a pleasure to meet him and he was an articulate young man, who gave a very nice acceptance speech at the presentation event.

Unfortunately he had begun to suffer serious health problems while still playing for the Catalans and they recurred not long after he returned to Australia.

And although there was some hope that he had finally got over them, eventually they returned and in the end eventually ended his life.

I would like to send my condolences to all the members of his family.

On Thursday the death was announced of Dean Williams, a superb sports photographer who has contributed to League Express for the last ten years, very often on a weekly basis. Some of the best photos in this newspaper have been down to him.

And for much of that time he was also the club photographer for Wakefield Trinity and the quality of his photography was outstanding.

Wakefield had a minute’s silence to mourn his passing on Friday night, which was highly appropriate and very well done.

He will be a great loss, both to us, to Wakefield Trinity and to Rugby League more generally.

My sympathy and condolences go to his family.

Last week we also received the sad news that Lady Joan Boston, the wife of the great Sir Billy, had passed away.

As the wife of one of Rugby League’s greatest figures, Joan stood beside Sir Billy with grace and loyalty through the many chapters of his amazing life and career. She was his rock.

My deep condolences go to Sir Billy and to all the members of the Boston family.

And finally there was Frank Barrow, a great fullback for St Helens in the 1960s, who dies last Wednesday at the age of 83. One of his biggest fans was a young Eamonn McManus, who is now the Chairman of St Helens.

Once more I send my condolences to the Barrow family.