Rising star Kelly off to a good start
20/05/2009 4:00:00 AM
IF you're good enough you're old enough: so goes the adage.
That could be adapted to ``If you're good enough, you're big enough.''
Albert Kelly is built along Preston Campbell lines.
He's a jockey-sized, fast-stepping dynamo in the Campbell mould, too.
Kelly has had the big wraps on him ever since Parramatta brought him down from the bush and let him progress through the junior representative teams.
On Saturday he showed why. He was promoted from the Toyota Cup and finally given a run against the the boys the men in the NSW Cup.
Kelly turned out as five-eighth for Wentworthville against Newtown at historic Henson Park.
The handful of spectators there saw history unfold.
It took just eight seconds to confirm why the little man had the big reputation.
Wenty kicked off, Newtown let the ball bounce, Kelly grabbed it and stepped through two defenders to score.
What happened in the rest of the match will go down in Magpie history, and any statistical history of rugby league.
Kelly scored four more tries as Wenty belted the hapless Jets 60-10.
Perhaps someone has scored five tries before on debut in a senior match.
Regardless, five-eighth Kelly has made history. He wasn't opposed by any inexperienced junior, either.
Former Newcastle premiership winner Sean Rudder was the Newtown pivot.
Kelly was mentioned as a chance of NRL promotion when Brett Finch left Parramatta, but the Eels are unlikely to rush him. They're more likely to let him razzle and dazzle in the NSW Cup until he matures....
why have we not signed Albert Kelly for life already??
