New Broncos recruit Albert Kelly dropped to feeder club to improve fitness after two weeks in quarantine

He spent just one week training with the Broncos but train-and-trial contract player Albert Kelly hasn’t been seen since at Red Hill. Kevin Walters has now revealed why.

LEEDS, ENGLAND - AUGUST 01: Ryan Atkins of Warrington Wolves in action with Albert Kelly of Hull KR during the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Semi-Final match between Warrington Wolves and Hull KR at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium on August 1, 2015 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

Talented playmaker Albert Kelly has been dropped back to Broncos feeder club Souths Logan Magpies after being too out of shape to train with the NRL squad.

It comes just two weeks after the 29-year-old began pre-season training with the main Broncos squad at Red Hill after signing a train-and-trial contract with the club in a bid to return to the NRL in the 2021 season.

The former Shark and Titan has recently arrived back from the English Super League, where he played 118 games for both Hull KR and Hull FC across five seasons.

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Albert Kelly left Super League club Hull KR in September.

A hamstring injury ended his season in September and he has since arrived back in Australia to reignite his NRL career.

However, his training stint with the Broncos this pre-season has come to a brief halt after being forced back to the Magpies to work on his fitness.

Coach Kevin Walters said Kelly’s two-week quarantine after flying in from the UK made it difficult for the star halfback to stay in shape.

“He was training with us, big Albert, but he’s piled on a few kilos so we had to send him back to Souths and do some more running,” Walters said.

“Unfortunately he had 14 days in quarantine when he arrived back from England, where he was playing over at Hull.

“He was in isolation for 14 days, so he couldn’t do much training and that’s always tough on players, when you’re locked in a hotel room; he’s got two or three kids as well.

“He’ll be back in the new year, I would say, or the next week or two.”

Walters admitted he had his eyes on the experienced halfback to add depth to Brisbane’s playmaking options.

“We’ll be very much looking forward to getting our hands on him,” he said.

Albert Kelly playing for the Sharks in the NRL back in 2011.

“Also his skill and also his knowledge of the game, he’s played in both hemispheres now, so a very experienced player.

“The Broncos, that was an area last year when they lacked a lot of experience in most positions, so he brings value in experience there as well.”

It comes as Brisbane enter their third week of pre-season training this week.

The club’s more experienced players such as Anthony Milford, Alex Glenn, Corey Oates and Matt Lodge returned to full squad training for the first time on Monday, after undergoing short running drills over the past few weeks.