Stephen Charles Mortimer OAM[3] (born 15 July 1956), also nicknamed "Turvey",[4] is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played as a halfback.

During Mortimer's final five seasons at Canterbury-Bankstown he formed a great halves combination with the master of support play in Terry Lamb.

Mortimer received an offer to switch clubs in 1987 and very nearly joined the Bob Fulton coached Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, but stayed put at Canterbury (Manly won the premiership that year while the Bulldogs finished only 1 point out of the finals).

He was advised to retire after 1988 rather than join another club, which ensured his status as one of the most loyal players to play the game of rugby league.

This was in Game 2 of the 1984 State of Origin series on a very wet and muddy Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), with Queensland winning 14–2.

Despite troubles at Canterbury during his latter years, including a well publicised feud with Warren Ryan who coached the team from 1984 to 1987, Mortimer was a one-club man and retired playing 272 first grade games, which at the time was the most for one NSWRL club.

Mortimer's representative career faced challenges from other great halfbacks of his era including Tommy Raudonikis, Steve Morris, Kevin Hastings and most notably Peter Sterling.

Mortimer is credited as the player who finally brought passion into the Blues Origin jersey and led a new wave of NSW players that would be the core of the team for many years to come including those such as Wayne Pearce, Brett Kenny, Michael O'Connor, Garry Jack, Royce Simmons, Steve Roach, Noel Cleal, Ben Elias, and his brother Chris Mortimer.

Also making his debut in that Test match was future rugby league immortal Wally Lewis, who played outside Mortimer at five-eighth.

Mortimer was named vice-captain of Australia's 1985 mid-season tour of New Zealand, but made himself unavailable due to business reasons, with Murray and Hasler sharing the halfback position.

Mortimer's performances on the field were vintage but a virus and broken wrist cut his appearances to just 14 and also played 5 games as a fresh replacement.

Further dramas in the pre-season saw Mortimer stand down as chief executive officer but the foundations he put in place and the players he helped recruit saw Canterbury under the coaching of Steve Folkes win their 8th Premiership.