Albert Kelly rewarded with new Brisbane deal

Albert Kelly’s impressive performances for Brisbane this season have seen him rewarded with a new deal for next season.

The 30-year-old returned to Australia earlier this season after spending six years in Super League with Hull KR and Hull FC.

Kelly has impressed in six games he has played for Brisbane this season and helped the Broncos beat New Zealand Warriors on the weekend.

He said: “I can see the success coming at the Broncos so I wanted to stick around. I can see how hard the guys work and how talented they are.

“We’ve got some good players coming in so it’s going to be a bright future. I’m very grateful to the Broncos for giving me a chance. Hopefully I can pay the club back with some success.”

Brisbane football and performance director Ben Ikin said: “Albert provides experience and creativity. He has been really impressive since he was given the chance midway through the year and took it with both hands.

“He is also very good around the club, having seen what it takes to succeed at the top level and passing that on to the younger players in the squad.”

Kelly has made 171 career appearances for Cronulla Sharks, Gold Coast Titans, Hull KR, Hull FC and Brisbane since making his first team debut in 2010.

The Australian was part of the Hull KR squad that reached the Challenge Cup final in 2015 and then helped Hull FC win the Challenge Cup at Wembley two years later. He was named in the Super League Dream Team in 2017.

Kelly scored 23 tries in 43 appearances for Hull KR over the course of two seasons before joining city rivals Hull FC in 2017. He scored 44 tries in 74 games over four years at FC.

Kelly made his return to the NRL this year and has scored two tries in six appearances so far.