The NRL kicks off tonight, but it was a vastly different story 56 years ago, when Noel Kelly played his first NSWRL game for Western Suburbs.
Born outside Ipswich, Kelly made his way into the Queensland side via Ipswich and Brothers to be in the first and third winning sides against NSW in 1959.
That earned the teak-tough prop-cum-hooker a Test against the Kiwis, and a berth on the 1959 Kangaroo tour to England and France, captained by Keith Barnes.
Now a fully-fledged international, Kelly signed on as captain-coach in Ayr for the princely sum of 800 pounds. That’s where he received a phone call from the Magpies to come to the big smoke of Sydney, and the big time.
In that era there was only Balmain, Canterbury, Eastern Suburbs, Manly, Newtown, North Sydney, Parramatta, South Sydney, St George, and Wests in the comp, with the match of the day every Saturday at the SCG – no Sunday play.
It was a big decision for the country boy, with wife Chris, son Greg, and daughter Judy, to pack up the car and drive 2000 kilometres to Sydney.
It took them a week, but at the end of the trip was an 1100-pound contract, a house, and a job.
One of the club’s staunch supporters was the Narrabeen Hotel and that’s where the Kellys camped for months, while Noel did odds jobs around the Peninsula, picking up glasses, attending to the amusement park on Manly wharf, and keeping his hand in as a qualified butcher.
That was the perfect job for ‘Ned’, selling meat Monday to Friday and making mincemeat of the opposition every Saturday.
Ned found a house on Collaroy Plateau and using his contract as collateral, it was the Kellys’ first Sydney home.
He found the Sydney comp to his liking, being instrumental in Wests reaching the SCG decider in each of his first three seasons, only to run into the Dragon buzzsaw nearing the end of their record-breaking 11 successive premierships.
But the 1963 grand final was special: played in torrential rain, on a mud heap, award winning photographer John O’Gready from the Sydney Morning Herald took the superb picture of rival captains Norm Provan and Arthur Summons leaving the field.
That photo is now the inspiration for the NRL premiers’ trophy.
There were 16 Kangaroos on duty that memorable day: Graeme Langlands, Reg Gasnier, Billy Smith, Eddie Lumsden, Monty Porter, Ian Walsh, Kevin Ryan, Elton Rasmussen, and Norm Provan as captain-coach of the Gladiators, and Summons as Wests captain with Don Parish, Peter Dimond, Denis Meaney, Kel O’Shea, and Kelly.
(But one of Wests’ props was Jack Gibson, who was to make an indelible mark as an innovating coach, winning two premierships with Easts, and three with Parramatta.)
Ned played a blinder that day and was selected for his second tour of England and France, captain-coached by Summons.
There had been ten previous Kangaroo tours to England that had never won the series. The 1963 Kangaroos broke the drought, 2-1, with Kelly playing all three Tests as prop.
They didn’t come any tougher or less compromising than Ned Kelly.
At Headingley, England and Australia came out of opposite doors into a dark tunnel. The 13 Australians looked ready for battle as they hit the turf, but two of the Englishmen were decidedly wobbly at the knees – Ned and another tough hombre, Peter Dimond, had whacked them in the tunnel.
Australia won the Test.
Kelly was sent off 17 times, but in explaining why, he said many early showers were for repeated scrum infringements.
“Referees of the day were down on us hookers, we actually hooked for the ball,” was the explanation.
Kelly was a legend of the game. The proof was being named in the Magpies Team of the Century, the Queensland Team of the Century, Rugby League’s greatest 100 players in history, and topped off by the recognition as hooker in the Australian Team of the Century.
The team was fullback Clive Churchill*, wingers Ken Irvine and Brian Bevan, centres Reg Gasnier* and Mal Meninga, halves Wally Lewis* and Andrew Johns*, props Arthur Beetson* and Duncan Hall, hooker Noel Kelly, second rowers Norm Provan and Ron Coote, with the lock Johnny Raper*.
The bench was Graeme Langlands*, Bobby Fulton*, Dally Messenger, and Frank Burge, with the inimitable Jack Gibson the coach.
(* denotes the eight Immortals, but Irvine, Meninga, Provan, Coote and Kelly should have long ago been inducted as Immortals.)
Only Johnathan Thurston would replace Johns among the current players.
After 111 games for Wests, eight for Queensland, six for NSW, and 25 for the kangaroos, Kelly spent his last season in Wollongong.
Next port of call was coaching North Sydney from 1973 to 1976, but the Bears never made the finals, finding new ways of losing every other week.
Ned will also be best remembered as a member of Channel Seven’s Sports Action program every Sunday morning – it was compulsory viewing watching Controversy Corner.
Dual international Rex Mossop was in the chair, Ned and Ferris Ashton were former Kangaroos, Alan Clarkson the highly-respected chief rugby league writer for the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald, while Col Pearce was one of the all-time great referees.
Sadly, Ned Kelly is the last one standing, but he has very fond memories of an extraordinarily popular segment.
The day after Manly won their first grand final, skipper Freddie Jones was in the final of the show’s passing competition. Freddie was a no show, so Rex rang the Manly Leagues Club to find out if he was still there.
“He’s asleep on the floor,” came the barmen’s reply.
“Stick him in a cab for Epping immediately,” barked Rex.
Freddie arrived gonzo, Rex had to physically place him on the starting line for four passes from the right, and turn him around for four from the left.
Freddie threw eight hospital passes for seven bulls.
He came to on the Thursday and, knowing he’d obviously had plenty to drink, wondered how on Earth he had so much cold hard in his wallet. Teammates told Freddie a couple of days later he had won $700 cash in the passing competition.
I hadn’t seen Ned Kelly for 34 years until this week, and he hasn’t changed a scrap. At 81 he’s as sharp as a tack, and still a great bloke, with an acute sense of humour.
He watches a lot of sport on television, but can’t play golf anymore at Long Reef where he once had a handicap of nine. And he admires the current crop of league superstars, who are banking a million bucks a season.
“It makes my 1100 quid look a bit sick, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said.
“I never thought I’d reach the heights I did, it was one mighty ride,” was how he summed up a stellar career.
Long may Ned Kelly be around to keep telling the stories.
Sava
Guest
David I was selling papers at the Narrabeen Pub(Royal Antler) when Noel Arrived I met him then and have known Ned ever since,although I live a long way from Sydney now ,but Ned has always been the same with my family always easy to talk to and a top bloke . Sava.
celtic bandaid
Guest
Noel Kelly wrote the best book I ever read on RL. He was supposed to sign with Souths but the Wests officials met him at the airport and took him on a tour of the backstreets of Redfern Waterloo and Zetland. When he asked where he was they said Souths territory. They then took him on a drive up the Boulevarde and Coronation Parade in Strathfield on his way to Ashfield When he asked where he was they rightly told him and told him this was Wests territory. He signed on the spot Great Bloke. I remember one Sunday afternoon Frank Hyde gave his MOTM award ( the Hanimex watch) to Mitch Brennan but called him Mitch Miller. 10 minutes later he went to another venue in an " around the grounds summation" discussing a match with Ned who was at another ground After some minutes Frank asked him who his MOTM was. He had no hesitation in nominating Lawrence Welk,
Fight fair
Guest
David, Johns was correctly awarded immortal status-period!
Sport lover
Guest
Stick to your rugby union, David. You have run out of arguments in this area and now look quite pathetic.
David Lord
Expert
And there's no chance of ever wanting to rate you above a bar of soap.
Sport lover
Guest
You don't know me from the proverbial bar of soap. I have in fact seen plenty of Kelly's play and any other player you can nominate. Thanks however for confirming you are a rugby union aficionado of dubious distinction.
Maroon Kev
Guest
Never heard of Alfie Langer buddy???
The Barry
Roar Guru
Agreed. Johns is the best player I've seen. He was a freak. Game management, vision, short passing, long passing, tackling, his running game, defending and the best kicking game I've seen. He really could do it all. His 2001 GF performance was artwork the way he steered the Knights around the park and put his forwards exactly where he wanted them. Origin game 2, 2005 was just as good but a different type of game where he laid on tries and just applied so much pressure to Queensland. Thurston has longevity on his side and I think we're at the stage now, with all his awards and rep performances that he's had a better career than Joey. But for mine Joey was the better player. Johns had 2-3 season ending injuries when he was at his absolute peak including the one that ended his career. Such a shame that we didn't get to see those years.
David Lord
Expert
You are not a sport lover with that ignorant and pathetic attempt to throw stones in glass houses. During the winter I covered rugby Monday to Saturday every week for The Sun newspaper, was on Sports Action on Channel 7 every Sunday morning hosting rugby, and covered a rugby league game every Sunday afternoon for The Sun during Noel Kelly's career. How many games did you see Noel Kelly play?
SSTID_1970
Roar Rookie
"eight Immortals in 36 years is farcical – an embarrassment to a great sport." I agree. There are so many more names that deserved to be honoured. Perhaps they should divide these names up to pre and post modern era? Pre-modern era (just a sample): Clive Churchill, Noel Kelly, Norm Provan, Ken Irvine, Graeme Langlands, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper, Bob Fulton, John Sattler, Ron Coote et al. I agree with Vincent that there should be a "Hall of Fame" with RL immortals above this.
SSTID_1970
Roar Rookie
I can only imagine that view is not because of what he achieved (or failed to achieve) on the field? If you are referring to his off field disgrace then I can understand and respect your view as a Rugby League purist but what he achieved ON the field was worthy of that title IMO. There are many antics that the "old guard" got up to back in the day and many of it may have been deemed unacceptable even today but they did not have the media spot light on them for their whole career. I do agree though that the revelations regarding Johns tainted and detracted from what he had achieved in the game. There is no escaping that.
SSTID_1970
Roar Rookie
Great story David. It is good to see the past greats of the game remembered and respected. These players all helped to form the foundation that built this game into the success that it is and should always be respected for their role in that. I was too young to see Noel Kelly play (my first memories of the game were in 1970 and 1971 watching Souths claim back to back titles). But I remember Noel well from Controversy Corner with Rex Mossop. He was the only one who could stand up to the Moose and get away with it. LOL I agree that Johnathan Thurston and Peter Sterling are two of the best halves to have played he game but Johns and Thurston stand above ALL other halves IMO. Steve Mortimer was brilliant and mercurial and a fantastic cover defender. Ricky Stuart is also worthy of respect. I remember fondly how Stuart saved our bacon against Great Britain in the Second Test of the 1990 Kangaroo tour. With seconds left, and the game seemingly out of reach, he threw a dummy and initiated a break from inside the Australian 20 metre line that lead to the game winning try. Australia went on to win the series 2-1 but if not for that play they would have been down 2-0 and the series lost just 2 games in. Incredible play (one of many throughout his career). Johns for mine though could do it all. The one thing that Johns has over Thurston IMO is his defence which I think was clearly better and more consistent than JT. JT's defence is shaky at best which is why the Cowboys and QLD SOO try to hide him on the wing or protect him with a back rower (like Cooper) to help him defensively. Lewis was a great player and dominated other halves physically and was astute at reading and directing a game but he did not have the skill set and freakish abilities of Johns or JT. They are the 2 stand outs IMO.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Immortals should be a special group and above a Hall of Fame. Revive the HoF I say!
Pickett
Guest
Great read Lordy. Loved controversy corner with Ferris and Ned giving it to the Moose. Liked your rugby and cricket(?) segments too. The elephant sound when the ball went through the bullseye was cool too. Alfie Langer has to be up there for great halfs. I'd put him ahead of Johns too. Brandy Alexander was arguably the most gifted, but tragedy probably stopped him reaching his full potential.
Sport lover
Guest
David Lord must have stumbled upon a few old books at the library by the look of it.
David Lord
Expert
Well said up in the north, but don't hold your breath waiting for the NRL to take the ownership away from Rugby League Week who are constantly sitting on their butts - eight Immortals in 36 years is farcical - an embarrassment to a great sport.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Great yarn, cheers. The history of rugby league should be celebrated and the carachters are the reason why. I do think though that we're putting too much weight onto THE IMMORTALS tag, at best it's an arbitrary award bestowed by a magazine. Too many players are overlooked or omitted based purely on their commercial or political value to certain parties. One day the Game will take ownership and fix it. We owe it to those who came before us.
David Lord
Expert
Steve, Johns never should have been awarded Immortal status - period.
Ray
Guest
You had to actually be there at the time to realize and appreciate the intensity of the St George / Western Suburbs matches over those 3 years. In spite of St George's record and superstar team, Wests spent big and put together an equally formidable team. There wasn't a struck match between them and any match could have went either way. I don't follow either side, but the Parra/Canterbury, Manly/ Cronulla rivalries were not in the same league.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Nice little read there David. I did not know Ipswich could lay claim to the Hooker of the Century, a true badge of honour for the former mining town with a serious affinity for Rugby League. The game has truly changed in the years since Kelly was brought down to Western Suburbs.