Noel Kelly (rugby league)
Encyclopedia
Noel Kelly is an Australian former professional rugby league
footballer and coach, who played at club, state and national level. He has been named amongst the country's finest footballers of the 20th century. Kelly played at hooker, prop forward or lock for much of his top-grade career with the Western Suburbs Magpies
.
. He attended primary school at St Mary's in Goodna, and a Christian Brothers
high school, where he has said he was, "frequently belted or bashed or caned," by the Brothers. At age 12, his mother allowed him to enrol in the local state school, where he studied until he was 14.
Goodna's first team played in the local district reserve grade competition, and Kelly played for the club from his junior league until he was in the first team as a young man, mostly playing a lock or second rower.
In 1956, Kelly began playing in the Ipswich competition, first with Railways, and then, two years later, with Brothers. At Railways he played in the same side as Gary Parcell and Dud Beattie
. At Brothers he was coached by Dan Dempsey
, who had played on two Kangaroo tour
s.
The Bulimba Cup was a tri-series played between sides representing Ipswich, Brisbane and Toowoomba. Playing at hooker, Kelly played in the Ipswich side which defeated the Toowoomba Downsmen 15-10 in the 1958 final, in front of a crowd of 7242. Kelly said, the repeated success in 1959 was his, "spring board to state and international level."
Kelly was chosen to play for Queensland
in 1959 under captain-coach Clive Churchill
. In an era when success in scrums was crucial, Kelly won the count in his debut 20-9 against New South Wales
hooker Ian Walsh. He missed the second game of the series, but returned to see Queensland win the series 2-1.
Kelly was picked as hooker for his first test match against New Zealand. Later that year he embarked on his first Kangaroo Tour
, but pre-existing injuries to his knees hampered his performances on the tour and he played in only 14 of a possible 37 games, allowing St George player Ian Walsh to cement the spot as starting hooker.
Short of money, Kelly signed an ₤800 contract to captain-coach with Ayr
for the 1960 season. Upon his arrival, he discovered the five local clubs had pooled their resources to afford the signing, and he was expected to rotate through all five clubs. He would captain-coach a club for a week, and then move on to the next.
Kelly played more internationals in 1960 and had established himself as a Kangaroo representative before he moved to Sydney to join Western Suburbs
in 1961. He was a stalwart of the Magpies sides of the 1960s and played in all of the club's consecutive Grand Final
losses to St. George in 1961, 1962 and 1963. Kelly has said that he believes referee Darcy Lawler had accepted money to help St George win the 1963 Grand Final.
Not a large player by the standards of the time, Kelly had the reputation as an aggressive forward. He was sent off
eleven times whilst playing for Wests, though some send-offs were for scrum breaches rather than foul play.
In 1963, Kelly made his second Kangaroo Tour
, playing at prop forward as captain Ian Walsh was again chosen as hooker. In his third Kangaroo Tour
he was back at hooker.
From 1966, Kelly took over as Wests' captain-coach, before moving to Wollongong for one season, a move he was to later regret. He returned to Sydney to coach the North Sydney Bears
from 1973 to 1976, never making the semi-finals.
Kelly was the first hooker/prop to be selected for three Kangaroo tour
s: 1959–60, 1963–64 and 1967–68. He is a board member and an ambassador for the Men Of League Foundation.
and the National Rugby League
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. Kelly went on to be named as hooker in Australian rugby league's Team of the Century
. Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panel's majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players. In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century
at hooker.
The yearly award for the best forward at the Wests Tigers
club is named the Noel Kelly Medal in his honour.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer and coach, who played at club, state and national level. He has been named amongst the country's finest footballers of the 20th century. Kelly played at hooker, prop forward or lock for much of his top-grade career with the Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
.
Biography
Kelly was born at Ipswich Hospital and raised in GoodnaGoodna, Queensland
Goodna is a suburb on the eastern edge of the City of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia.It is bounded to the north by the Brisbane River. Founded in 1856 when the area was still part of New South Wales, it celebrated its 150 year anniversary in 2006. Its beginnings can be traced back further to...
. He attended primary school at St Mary's in Goodna, and a Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
high school, where he has said he was, "frequently belted or bashed or caned," by the Brothers. At age 12, his mother allowed him to enrol in the local state school, where he studied until he was 14.
Goodna's first team played in the local district reserve grade competition, and Kelly played for the club from his junior league until he was in the first team as a young man, mostly playing a lock or second rower.
In 1956, Kelly began playing in the Ipswich competition, first with Railways, and then, two years later, with Brothers. At Railways he played in the same side as Gary Parcell and Dud Beattie
Dud Beattie
Dud Beattie is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1950s and 60s. An Australian international and Queensland representative prop forward, he played in Ipswich, Queensland for the Railways club....
. At Brothers he was coached by Dan Dempsey
Dan Dempsey
Dan Dempsey was an Australian rugby league national and Queensland state representative player. He played his career at Hooker and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.-Club career:...
, who had played on two Kangaroo tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
s.
The Bulimba Cup was a tri-series played between sides representing Ipswich, Brisbane and Toowoomba. Playing at hooker, Kelly played in the Ipswich side which defeated the Toowoomba Downsmen 15-10 in the 1958 final, in front of a crowd of 7242. Kelly said, the repeated success in 1959 was his, "spring board to state and international level."
Kelly was chosen to play for Queensland
Queensland rugby league team
The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...
in 1959 under captain-coach Clive Churchill
Clive Churchill
Clive Bernard Churchill AM was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach of the mid-20th century. An Australian international and New South Wales and Queensland interstate representative fullback, he played the majority of his club football with and later coached the South Sydney Rabbitohs...
. In an era when success in scrums was crucial, Kelly won the count in his debut 20-9 against New South Wales
New South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
hooker Ian Walsh. He missed the second game of the series, but returned to see Queensland win the series 2-1.
Kelly was picked as hooker for his first test match against New Zealand. Later that year he embarked on his first Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
, but pre-existing injuries to his knees hampered his performances on the tour and he played in only 14 of a possible 37 games, allowing St George player Ian Walsh to cement the spot as starting hooker.
Short of money, Kelly signed an ₤800 contract to captain-coach with Ayr
Ayr, Queensland
Ayr is a town in Queensland, Australia near the delta of the Burdekin River, named after the Scottish town of Ayr by the settlers from the United Kingdom...
for the 1960 season. Upon his arrival, he discovered the five local clubs had pooled their resources to afford the signing, and he was expected to rotate through all five clubs. He would captain-coach a club for a week, and then move on to the next.
Kelly played more internationals in 1960 and had established himself as a Kangaroo representative before he moved to Sydney to join Western Suburbs
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
in 1961. He was a stalwart of the Magpies sides of the 1960s and played in all of the club's consecutive Grand Final
Grand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
losses to St. George in 1961, 1962 and 1963. Kelly has said that he believes referee Darcy Lawler had accepted money to help St George win the 1963 Grand Final.
Not a large player by the standards of the time, Kelly had the reputation as an aggressive forward. He was sent off
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
eleven times whilst playing for Wests, though some send-offs were for scrum breaches rather than foul play.
In 1963, Kelly made his second Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
, playing at prop forward as captain Ian Walsh was again chosen as hooker. In his third Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
he was back at hooker.
From 1966, Kelly took over as Wests' captain-coach, before moving to Wollongong for one season, a move he was to later regret. He returned to Sydney to coach the North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
from 1973 to 1976, never making the semi-finals.
Kelly was the first hooker/prop to be selected for three Kangaroo tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
s: 1959–60, 1963–64 and 1967–68. He is a board member and an ambassador for the Men Of League Foundation.
Accolades
In September 2004 Kelly was named as captain and hooker of the Western Suburbs Magpies team of the century. In February 2008, he was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the Australian Rugby LeagueAustralian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
and the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. Kelly went on to be named as hooker in Australian rugby league's Team of the Century
Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century
In late 2007, the Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League commissioned a college of 130 experts to select the 100 best rugby league players in the game's 100-year history in Australia...
. Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panel's majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players. In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century
Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century
The Queensland Rugby League Team of the Century is a hypothetical team comprising the best players who have played for Queensland to form a team for 1909 until 2008. Rugby league in Queensland was initiated in 1909 with the Queensland Rugby Football League competition, which evolved into the...
at hooker.
The yearly award for the best forward at the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
club is named the Noel Kelly Medal in his honour.