[4] Turnbull won a cap for Great Britain (RL) while at Leeds in 1951 against New Zealand.

[1] Turnbull also represented Great Britain (RL) while at Leeds between 1952 and 1956 against France (1 non-Test match).

[5] Turnbull was selected to face Australia on the 1952–53 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France but had to withdraw due to injury, and played in two non-Test matches in the 1954 Great Britain Lions Tour of Australia and New Zealand, before having to return prematurely due to injury.

Only Eric Harris, who did it three times, has bettered Turnbull's 41 tries in a league season for Leeds, set in 1954–55.

Along with Fred Webster and Eric Harris, Turnbull was one of only three players to have scored six or more tries in a game for the club, achieving a double hat-trick against Batley on Monday 28 December 1953.