Peter Kelly

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Born
Monday, 7th September, 1959
Current Age
65 years and 59 days

Honours & Awards

Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.

NSWRL Premiership (NRL)
1984, 1985
Clive Churchill Medal
1984

Biography

Tough prop, a first grader in Eden at age 17, spent seasons with Lakes United and Waratah Mayfield in Newcastle. Kelly, who spent the 1980-81 off-season playing with the Entraignes club in the south of France, joined Newtown in 1982 and continued his career under Warren Ryan at C’bury following the Jets’ exit from the NSWRL in 1983. A ruthless competitor in each of the Bulldogs' three grand final appearances in the mid-1980s, he was judged to be the best player on the field in the clubs' premiership wins in 1984-85. A ferocious defender and an underrated ball-player, Kelly was unlucky not to have played for Australia during the mid 1980s. Moving to Penrith in 1988 he was an important part of the club's transition to premiership contenders and added much-needed steel to the forward pack. Kelly represented Country Origin in 1988-89 and made his debut for NSW in 1989. A back injury ended his career before the Panthers’ 1990 grand final appearance but he later coached lower grades with the club.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Competitions

Competition   Comp Wins App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
State of Origin - 2 - -   - - 0 2 0 0.00% List
City vs Country - 3 - -   - - 0 3 0 0.00% List
City vs Country Firsts - 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) 2 141 8 -   - 29 86 50 5 60.99% List
NSWRFL/NSWRL Finals - 9 - -   - - 7 2 0 77.78% List
Midweek Cup - 11 - -   - - 6 5 0 54.55% List
Challenge Cup AU - 3 - -   - - 2 1 0 66.67% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NSW Country Firsts 1983   1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
NSW Country 1987-89   3 - -   - - 0 3 0 0.00% List
NSW 1989   2 - -   - - 0 2 0 0.00% List
Overall1983-1989   6 0 0   0 - 0 6 0 0.00% List


Club Career

NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Year

Team Season   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Newtown 1982 Winfield Cup   23 3 -   - 9 11 10 2 47.83% List
Newtown NSWRFL 1983 Winfield Cup   10 2 -   - 8 4 5 1 40.00% List
Canterbury NSWRL 1984 Winfield Cup   16 - -   - - 14 2 0 87.50% List
Canterbury NSWRL 1985 Winfield Cup   19 1 -   - 4 14 4 1 73.68% List
Canterbury NSWRL 1986 Winfield Cup   18 1 -   - 4 11 7 0 61.11% List
Canterbury NSWRL 1987 Winfield Cup   15 - -   - - 7 8 0 46.67% List
Penrith NSWRL 1988 Winfield Cup   16 - -   - - 9 7 0 56.25% List
Penrith NSWRL 1989 Winfield Cup   14 1 -   - 4 10 4 0 71.43% List
Penrith NSWRL 1990 Winfield Cup   10 - -   - - 6 3 1 60.00% List

NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Newtown 1982-83   33 5 -   - 17 15 15 3 45.45% List
Canterbury 1984-87   68 2 -   - 8 46 21 1 67.65% List
Penrith 1988-90   40 1 -   - 4 25 14 1 62.50% List
Overall1982-1990   141 8 0   0 29 86 50 5 60.99% List

Your Say

  • Anonymous
    09/04/2011

    The best player i have ever had the pleasure of watching that never played for Australia.

  • Anonymous
    31/07/2015

    Peter Kelly got man of the match in the 1984 & 1985 grand finals. Yet the back dated clive churchill medal for 1985 was given to Steve Mortimer? I remember that Peter got players player and judged the official man of the match at the ground & by every tabloid except the S.M.H. This error needs to be rectified. Peter should have been the first player picked for the 1984 kangaroo team.

  • Anonymous
    04/02/2016

    A Hard Tough Player. Great Memories watching him play the great game.

  • Geoff
    29/02/2020

    Well peter lived next door to me at Eden NSW & Worked as a apprentice at the Forestry Commission NSW he had a mind of his own ,very determined to achieve his own goals just like myself ,he challenged me on many occasions,I would not give into his strength alternative was to challenge him which I’d say made him more determined to achieve which he did.

  • Harrry
    20/07/2021

    I loved Steve Mortimer but that was a slap in the face to Peter Kelly.. He would have earned the Clive Churchill on the day. Being a front rower should not be a disadvantage. Forwards win games.

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Contributions: Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, AJ Lucantonio, Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Alan Katzmann, Max Turner

Sources: David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), Match Video