FORMER HULL FC and Hull KR star Albert Kelly is currently without a club following his exit from the Brisbane Broncos.
Kelly left Super League and UK shores back in 2020 and has spent the last two seasons at Red Hill in an attempt to reignite his NRL career.
However, with the 31-year-old now left staring at the potential of his NRL career being over, here are three Super League and Championship clubs that could fit with the halfback.
Leigh Leopards
Though the newly rebranded Leopards have the likes of Ben Reynolds, Lachlan Lam and Joe Mellor in their ranks, there is always room for the class of Albert Kelly. During his time in Super League with Hull and Hull KR, the halfback earned a reputation for himself as one of the most creative playmakers in the competition. Forming a partnership with Lam would have Leigh purring in 2023. Of course, the Leopards do still have one quota space left to fill following the departures of Blake Ferguson and Nene MacDonald and owner Derek Beaumont, head coach Adrian Lam and head of rugby Chris Chester will be keen to get another name over the line before the new season starts.
Catalans Dragons
Catalans Dragons need a halfback to replace Josh Drinkwater, even if head coach Steve McNamara has planned to play Tyrone May in the halves going forward. That being said, having someone like Albert Kelly in his ranks would enable McNamara to build a strong halfback partnership with Mitchell Pearce already at the Stade Gilbert Brutus. Allowing Kelly to use his devastating running game would complement Pearce’s astute kicking game that became stifled in 2022. Catalans also have the benefit of possessing two quota spots left to fill for 2023.
Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone have done some great business going forward into 2023 with the likes of Chris Hankinson, McKenzie Yei, Riley Dean and Elijah Taylor all making their way to the Millennium Stadium for next season. That being said, having someone like Albert Kelly in the Rovers’ ranks would certainly make them big favourites going into the Championship campaign. Able to turn a game on its head with a piece of magic, Kelly would provide Sean Long and Leon Pryce with a major boost ahead of one of the most important seasons in Featherstone’s history.
Bradford Bulls
It will probably be a bit far-fetched, but Bradford Bulls have been recruiting superbly and the name Albert Kelly is certainly one which would help the West Yorkshire club back towards the top of the Championship. The 31-year-old has the potential to take the second tier by absolute storm, though it would be interesting to see who Kelly would play alongside in the halves with Dec Patton, Jordan Lilley and Tom Holmes already at Odsal. Despite appearing just 12 times for Brisbane in the past two seasons, Kelly would prove vital for any potential promotion charge.
