NOEL KELLY PUNCH V NZ 1967

Rugby League Great Noel Kelly was a hard man. In this clip Kelly lands a great left hook on the jaw of Kiwi prop Rob Orchard. Orchard had 'coathangered' Australian five eighth Johnny Gleeson.
This is how Rugby League was played in a bygone era.
Born and raised in Ipswich Qld. Kelly began his playing days at Railways in 1957 and then moved to Brothers for the 1958 and 59 season. He represented Ipswich in the Bulimba Cup winning the competition in 58 and 59.
He was selected for Qld and Australia in 59 along with his Ipswich front row partners Dud Beattie and Gary Parcell.
Kelly returned from the 59 kangaroo tour and signed a lucrative deal with Ayr for 1960 before transferring to Wests in Sydney and becoming a club legend.
Noel Kelly was tough.
Touring with the Kangaroos in 1959-60, 1963-64 and 1967-68, Noel Kelly earned the distinction of being the first front-rower to make rugby league's most distinguished journey three times.
In all, Kelly played 25 Tests in the Australian engine room at a time rugby league was at its roughest and toughest.
Statistics from Kelly's career give a clue to how tough the game was ... and how tough he was.
In his career with Wests in Sydney, ''Ned'' was sent off 17 times, though some were for scrum ''wheeling and dealing'' in days when every scrum was a battle.
In the second Australia-New Zealand Test of 1967, he and the big Kiwi Robin Orchard were sent off in the first 90 seconds, Ned having rendered Orchard horizontal with a left hook.
Events such as that one and plenty more (such as his joyful dive for a try during the record-breaking 50-12 second Test win that claimed the Ashes in 1963) made Kelly one of the most robust and popular players to ever pull on a boot.
Originally from the Queensland country, and a hooker, Kelly became a Test prop alongside another hard man from the bush, Ian Walsh, and remained equally effective in both positions.
At Wests, he was a natural leader, taking over as captain-coach in 1966. After leaving the Magpies, he played and coached briefly in Wollongong, and then stepped back into the spotlight in the 1970s, as coach of Norths for three lively years.
“Rugged and determined, he was one of the best combinations of hooker and player Australia has had.”
Tom Goodman Sydney Morning Herald

[@chhuntley5616]

Noel was our local Butcher and as a young boy he was always polite to me.

[@trudgettbrett4680]

I met senior Rob Orchard once and know his sons well, this video doesn't give credit to how big he was, I remember shaking his hand and it was like a baseball glove. Noel kelly must of been something also. Respect to both of them.

[@sli191]

It was a sucker punch in every way

[@TorontoBarbell]

How was it a sucker punch - the Kiwi was looking straight at him when kelly was walking towards him?

[@darren5971]

You mean a king hit ? Stop with the American sht please.

[@TorontoBarbell]

@@darren5971 Whatever you call it, it was a good clean hit, coming front on, and he deserved it because of what he did to the Aussie player beforehand.

[@kevinwaters5872]

Let the punishment fit the crime. Orchid gave Gleeson no notice , or did you miss that bit ?

[@theaussieburgerman9625]

@@kevinwaters5872 No, that's why Kelly flattened him - a good old fashioned get square.

[@darrylmackie9184]

He put the Tough into The Magpies, West forever.

[@dantaylor897]

Im a Kiwi but that was fair enough & a beautiful quick left on the button was deserved. 👊🇳🇿

[@jasonlancaster4357]

cowards, both of them. Easy to do when the other guy doesn't expect it.

[@Andrew-dl9zf]

@@jasonlancaster4357 Im sure you're tougher then both lol

[@TorontoBarbell]

@@jasonlancaster4357 The Kiwi dude was looking straight at Noel Kelly when he was walking up to him - what else did he expect was going to happen?

[@melancholiac]

Agreed. Anyone can do a "cheap shot". Much better when two men square up.

[@rickykingi5191]

@@TorontoBarbell yep he definitely wasn’t gona ask him if he wants to have a beer after the game 😂

[@OldFartFilms]

Vale Noel ‘Ned’ Kelly

[@Will-nb8qk]

His honours suggest he could well have been an immortal! ✊🏽

[@roberthowe2910]

@M unfortunately football these days is a fanny game...

[@aussiefarmer4955]

you can tell most morons never laced a boot when they call this a sucker punch, Orchard a forward took out a half he picked on the little guy and in Rugby League the bigger guy will always stick up and defend the little team mate, Orchard would have known this and Kelly was doing his job.

[@davidfreeme7989]

He should of expected that from noel kelly there was no way he was going to kiss him on the cheek

[@anthonycoleman1909]

Great video mate

[@magnusskol6512]

Love how they all just get back up and play on.

[@onthisrock1970]

Dude got up very quick considering the punch he copped. Tough.

[@petefrench4198]

...he was a good player Orchard!!

[@darren5971]

You didn't stay down in those days lol

[@paulfrancis8764]

Coward. Typical Australian really.

[@michaelboyce7079]

Well worth a standing eight count! 🤣

[@johnpollock3246]

I remember him flattening George Piggins in a game between Wests and Souths. Scrum broke up, Piggins fell flat on his face, Kelly ran off shaking his fist. Referee did not say a word.

[@Will-nb8qk]

Sheesh, you’re old 😂 Cool though ✊🏽

[@joelmonkley6177]

Noel kelly was one of hardest men to play the game read his book Rest in ☮️🙏 peace

[@user-nh5kn4tw1l]

I am not sure what his name was but I was told by Billy Smith that Kelly flattened a Kiwi player as they lined up to shake hands before the start of the test match and was sent off before the match started . I think he would rather a fight than a feed.

[@countycricklewood]

☘️👊🇮🇪 Heritage. Naturally In the blood

[@johnjustice8478]

Good vid

[@peterhall6656]

Quality left.

[@sunnysamuel7984]

The Aussies have been dominating league for along time us kiwis just can't get a break

[@BrettWilliamson]

Not much in it nowadays mate.

[@telstar4772]

Not in that era it was Great Britain. I bet he didn`t get away with anything in a test match back then with the Poms, he would have been ironed out very quickly.

[@admiralbenbow5083]

Decent shot. He didnt stay down tho`.

[@Enochthegreat71]

Ned Kelly, yeah heard of him.

[@thefury4424]

Rugby league needs more self regulation like this today

[@thefury4424]

And still roll around like they have been shot whenever someone looks at them… tough sport!

[@girlsblouse7866]

@M 4 billion minus the 174 dickheads in the Indo stadium don't you mean? Wanna discuss any more statistics on poofball? Any body die at any AFL games lately? Apart from those that die of boredom at AFLW games.

[@timeistooshort2933]

Yip...as a Kiwi I couldn't agree with you more...what our player did was uncalled for...but Kelly dished out his due retribution 👍

[@darylkanofski9327]

I think Kelly had some kind of record of being sin binned or sent off in tests

[@cliveuuking4602]

How tall + what weight was he?

[@sevvy101]

Oh he's hard, blindsiding the bloke

[@robertjackson8199]

Nothing tough about that, sucker punch, good shot though, other bloke got up very quick he's the tough guy.

[@roberthetherington8964]

What about showing the rest of the game

[@andresdeks]

Actually Kelly got hit a good one to if you continue the video

[@WELLBRAN]

Its nothing to what goes on now

[@DudeRevolution]

The sport in its truest form. Commit a foul and cop a punch. Now you get 11 men holding his jersey so he doesn't get a 7 game suspension

[@0tto9]

In hockey that's called a sucker punch.

[@timaruoutlaws1905]

Coward punch.

[@davel4708]

Must have been a pretty crap game otherwise. 3-0, sheesh!

[@BrettWilliamson]

What would the 3 have been for back then? A try? Surely not a penalty and then field goal.

[@darylkanofski9327]

@@BrettWilliamson yes tries were worth 3 points back then and at one time field goals were worth 2 points from anywhere not like now only 40 plus meters out

[@dopelyrics6223]

Perfect left hook? Pretty much sucker punched him, and the bloke got straight back up.I’d say he was the tougher fella

[@scrotrot1595]

LOL, he was repaying a gutless shot ya Dope. Then stands there like a statue, hands down and gets rightly belted. Dumb as fk Kiwi to cheap shot then not protect himself.

[@cardigan3000]

its probably the cleanest and best technical punch ive seen a rugby player throw

[@dopelyrics6223]

@@cardigan3000 my 100 year old grandad can throw a technical punch to someone who isn’t looking 🤣

[@cardigan3000]

@@dopelyrics6223 if you clothes line an opponent you better be looking

[@dopelyrics6223]

@@cardigan3000 if you want to see a technical left hook, in an actual fight, watch Joe Frazier.

[@jonathanfinan722]

Thug. No respect

[@slipnslide9308]

Boo hoo so your butt hurt … who cares.

[@micpotato8158]

Yup

[@scrotrot1595]

He punched him because he'd just cheap shotted a teamate. Not a thug, that's a teamate standing up for his mate. Not one gutless Kiwi wanted anything to do with Kelly after he dropped him, they all knew Noel wasn't the guy to mess with. That's the main story, gutless Kiwi teamates.

[@marklulham3148]

@@scrotrot1595 they literally ran in at him for an all in brawl. What do you mean they didn't?

[@girlsblouse7866]

@@scrotrot1595 Wrong, there was one gutless Kiwi there. The maggot who runs in from the blindside and lays one on Ned from behind. If dumbarse Orchard didn't see or didn't expect what was comin his way, then he was thucker than the typical Kiwi I've played against... And THAT is saying something.

[@Hrcak1]

Punch without warning? Not very brave.

[@darren5971]

Ever was that grubs high tackle

[@darrenpugh8919]

cheap shot non the less ...

[@maelughran6981]

There's nothing remotely clever - or tough - to punch someone when they are not expecting it, in fact its cowardly.

[@darren5971]

Shutup did you see that bloke almost rip his team mates head off with that high tackle .Noel showed loyalty to his team mate. Stop your whinging .

[@steventudor3769]

I'm not condoning it, but in those days you should've been expecting it for what he done. Especially to a smaller player.

[@JSL2000]

I absolutely hate this so called "hardman" title that's given to players who engage in thuggish behaviour on the pitch. That kind of cowardly nonsense needs to be called out for what it is.

[@sexobscura]

*$10,000 fine and out for the rest of the season*

[@darren5971]

Not in those days

[@tekanawateoti3952]

nothing tough about any of that