Albert Kelly dedicates first ever hat-trick to late auntie
Albert Kelly has dedicated his first ever hat-trick to his auntie who recently passed away.
The half-back was in sensational form as he inspired his team to come back from ten points down at the break to beat Castleford 31-18.
Kelly said: “I’m over the moon, I never got one before. I always fell short on the brace. I dedicate it to one of my aunties back home – she passed away. It’s a sad time for the family back there.”
He donated his £250 Man of the Match money to the charity work of Connor Lynes, the teenager from Hull who suffered a serious brain injury following an incident while playing junior rugby.
The player also had warm words for Jake Connor and Ratu Naulago.
He added: “Jake is a very talented player. I’ve played with some talented players and he’s definitely up there.
“Ratu is new to the game but he’s come in like he’s been playing for years. That right edge has been pretty good lately. Our motto was to defend dirty and attack clean so we tried to live up to that each week.”
Despite being in the Challenge Cup semi-final and sitting third in the Super League table, Hull FC are often criticised for their inconsistency.
When asked about that, Kelly responded: “I heard something like ‘bipolar team’. You win some you lose some. It’s an attitude thing, that’s the main hurdle. When you rock up to a game and you want to win, you give it your best.
“No one goes out to lose a game – we’re in a semi, we’re sitting up there in the league. Our staff keep beating the drum, don’t get complacent, do your hard work in training and perform in the game – that’s what we want to do in the next couple of games.”
The Black and Whites have three tough fixtures ahead of them against Catalans Dragons, Hull KR and St. Helens.
Despite the tough schedule Kelly is looking forward to the challenge.
He said: “These next few fixtures are going to be really tough. We just have to keep performing and keep putting in the hard yards at training and make sure we turn up with the right attitude on game day.
“It’s going to be a tough game [vs Catalans]. They’re sitting around where we are so it’s going to be a big tough fixture. I’m looking forward to it.”