BOB KELLY, who died last Thursday, was one of Rugby League's larger than life characters - and man who held a unique claim to fame in International Rugby League.

He was born in Tullamore, Co. Offaly in Ireland in 1927 and played Gaelic Football for Offally. At 18 years of age he joined the British Army as a 'King's Shilling' man serving with the Essex Infantry in India and after the Second world War joined the military police serving for two years in Egypt and Palestine.

Bob had to be demobbed to a family member in England and as his only relative over here was a sister who lived at Portman Place, Keighley, he arrived in the town. He continued playing Gaelic Football for St Annes under Father Stridge, a Kerry man, when he was invited to 'have a go' at Rugby League.

He played amateur rugby league for Eastwood Tavern and Victoria Park in the 1949/50 season which resulted in him having trials with Keighley RLFC at the end of 1950, which was the beginning of a quite illustrious career in professional rugby league.

Bob signed for Keighley in 1951 for - a he put it - "A little less than Lewis Jones got when he signed for Leeds RLFC from Llanellie and Wales RU, £5,900 less to be exact."

Jones cost Leeds £6,000 in 11952, an incredible sum at the time, while Bob signed to Keighley for just £100. The two men were soon playing international rugby together.

Bob played under the guidance of Chris Breretton whose reputation as the hard man of Rugby League was renowned, and where his influence on Bob was the have a lasting effect.

However, in 1953-53 Bob left Keighley for Wakefield Trinity in exchange for ex-Great Britain International, Harry Murphy. It was a Trinity that Bob was really to make his mark.

His reputation as a really tough second row front row forward, coupled with his handling skills honed playing Gaelic Football, come to the fore. A couple of years later , in the 1955/56 season, when he was selected to play for the then 'Other Nationalities' side against England and France, he scored a try against France who were one of the strongest Rugby League nations at the time.

He later played for a Great Britain XIII against New Zealand in one of the first televised floodlit matches he picked up his three international caps - all on the winning sides.

It was while playing for the Other Nationalities that he gained one of his biggest accolades, lining up alongside Brian Bevan, harry Bath, Arthur Clues, Billy Boston, Dave Valentine (the GB captain of the day) and a certain Lewis Jones.

Bob had been on the losing side in two Yorkshire Cup finals, firstly for Keighley against Wakefield Trinity in 1951 and then for Wakefield Trinity against Leeds in 1958. He got a winners medal when Wakefield Trinity beat Hunslet in the 1956 final.

At the beginning of the 1959/60 season he joined Batley RLFC as player-coach for two seasons before finally hanging up his boots.

Man of Bob's mates in the town, who either played with him or against him, always referred to him as a tough no-nonsense player and he said the greatest player who played against, or with, was Dave Velentine, the GB Captain from Huddersfield.

And finally his claim to fame - he is the only Irishman from the south, Eire, to play International Rugby League with Great Britain. There have been other Irishmen to play at that level, but they have all come from the north.

Bob Kelly (above) scores for Great Britain against France in 1955. Mick Sullivan looks on.