As far as wraps on junior halves go, Albert Kelly has been perhaps at the top of my list since I started paying attention to the juniors.
A lot of kids look good in juniors, but you sometimes just get those kids who do stuff that nobody else can. They literally take your breath away or make your jaw drop.
Of all the young halves that have come through our system, Albert Kelly was the one who could do that to you, with most regularity.
I remember being absolutely stunned when the club started pushing Daniel Mortimer ahead of Kelly. Mortimer did well at a junior level, but he never displayed the skill levels of Kelly. It is pretty much inconceivable to me, that Mortimer could even be considered on the same level as Kelly as prospect.
Of course, then we started to hear the reports of Kelly's attitude and behaviour. And it's been a consistent refrain ever since, regardless of what club he has shown up to, he's gotten himself into trouble.
However, he's now landed at the Titans and if you've seen any of Kelly's games this year, it's previous obviously that he is now finally taking all of that talent and bringing it to an NRL level. Including those moments where he can take your breath away like his most recent try against Brisbane.
It once again raises the conundrum of what to do with troubled footballers. How many chances do you give them? When is enough, enough? Nobody wants a player in their side that disrupts the team and coaching staff have to set certain standards that all players must adhere to.
The reality is though, that Rugby League is always going to have plenty in its midst who aren't the clean-cut, outstanding citizens the girl next door wants to take home to meet the parents. Many of the characteristics of a strong Rugby League player - toughness, aggression, risk-taking, the willingness to push boundaries - are the same characteristics that are likely to make a young person make bad decisions. Add the pressure of Rugby League, the money and the inevitable ego-stroking, and clearly this is a sport which will always have its bad boys.
And those bad boys can transform teams. The Sharks with Todd Carney are a top four side. The Sharks without Todd Carney are a bottom four side. A lot of team collapse in a heap when they lose their enforcer - the bloke who will never, ever take a step backwards.
Indeed, many would argue that part of Parramatta's problem has been we've had too many nice guys. That we've missed mongrel and that we could well have done with a couple of bad boys ourselves.
So we look back at Albert Kelly. Had the right senior player taken him under his wing, had he had the right motivation or guidance, had someone just been able to get inside of his head, would he have stayed with the club and been our long-term number seven. Without question, he could of, if it had come down to talent.
As it was, Kelly was never a chance at Parramatta where he was playing under head coach Daniel Anderson, who, like Brian Smith before him, had little time for players who didn't behave or apply themselves as expected. But perhaps, it wouldn't have mattered who was on hand to try and get Albert Kelly's head into the state of a footballer. Maybe, he had to go through all of the experiences he has, to come out the side a player with the mental toughness and discipline to be an NRL footballer.
Maybe, it's not the Titans have done anything particularly right to get Kelly to this level, maybe they've just been lucky enough to have taken a punt on him at the right time in his life.
However, I think having programs and strategies in place to deal with kids who may be troubled in some respects is an imperative for any football club. I'm not sure if just having a firm "no dickheads" policy is going to result in you having the right balance of personalities and characteristics that you need in a successful football side.
I'll always watch Albert Kelly play with that little bit of additional interest, as he was one of the kids I picked out that I thought would become something special. It's still yet to be proven if he can sustain the run of form he has shown this season, and that he won't get himself into trouble again.
I hope he doesn't, because its footballers like Kelly that make our game such a special sport to watch.
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I think with kids like Kelly, who have a hell of a lot of talent but a poor overall attitude, you either take the risk or you don't.
Sometimes it pays off and they slowly start to excel as they mature and see the error of their ways, other times they languish in the lower grades unable to break the glass ceiling and get a first-grade spot.
Agree wholeheartedly on the assessment of Kelly as a junior, though.
He just threw away his talent so, so many times and it nearly cost him. At the Titans, though, he seems to have really come into his own as a player, evidenced by that fantastic solo effort against the Broncos.
Agree with a lot of Phil's sentiment here. The Morts/Kelly decision was a big one from Parra and it has directly affected both of their careers. Just a pity we still can't call either an EEL. Albert Kelly is a special player with special talent. I hope he ultimately makes it on the GC - just not this weekend ;)
However, let's not lose sight of the fact that we have a very similarly skilled and talented player at our club. Chris Sandow. Have some faith in him guys, Chrissy has come good and I think he's ready to explode.
Great to see he is finally for-filling his immense talent, but it has taken 5 years and 4 clubs for it to happen. Who's knows what may have happened if we had of kept him??? He may b back in Kempsey for all we know.
Much like barba and Dugan to an extent except Dugan was always shot
How is Sandow the Titans' bad boy?
His gone Phil, with this one we need to move on.
He was a clown for us and the sharks, he had plenty of chances for us, Albert let himself down, good luck to him at the titans, but there was no other choice for us.
Well the Titans did sack him.
Ok, my apologies. I was thinking Souths was his 1st club.
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