When Tonie Carroll announced he had signed a two year deal with Leeds in England, Stuart Kelly was one of the first players to cross Wayne Bennett's mind as an ideal replacement. A star for Parramatta in recent seasons, Kelly represented with Queensland's State of Origin side in the split competitions of 1997.
He has suffered under the chop and change regime of Eels' coach Brian Smith, and salary cap restrictions forced the Eels to release the valuable player. He comes to the Broncos ready to play and ready to battle for his first premiership.
Kelly is a highly gifted ball player with deceptive pace off the mark. That was shown to perfection during the 2000 finals series where his impact off the bench for Parramatta was remarkable. His defence, although prone to occasional lapses, is also solid.
Kelly's potential flamboyance combined with Michael De Vere's never-say-die reliability will provide an ideal partnership in the centres as the Broncos strive to defend their title.
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