Career Record for Featherstone
Appearances			Tries	Goals	Drop Goals	Points
Total	Start	Sub
171	163	8	15	557	0	1159

When Cyril Kellett was transferred to his home-town club in January 1968, it was expected that he was in the twilight of his career. In eleven seasons with Hull KR, he had scored 2,527 points and kicked 1,211 goals to set up records galore, and it certainly was not anticipated that he would continue in the same vein at the age of twenty-eight. Six seasons later, he had rewritten the record books at Featherstone, played in two Yorkshire Cup finals and one RL Cup Final, and had carved his own niche in the annals of the club.

He made a low-key start with his senior debut on 20 January 1968 at home to Keighley when he kicked two goals and ended the season with 25 goals in 12 appearances.  His impact was soon to be felt. In the opening game of 1968/69, he hit eight goals against Batley (at home) and the scene was set. He finished that season with 125 goals and would surely have repeated this feat in the next season had a fractured ankle against Swinton in January 1970 not ended a run of 38 consecutive appearances and a tally of 83 goals. He resumed in August to carry on in a similar fashion and records continued to fall. 10 goals and 2 tries (26 points) at home to Whitehaven in April 1971, fell one short of Don Fox's record club match total, but in an even more incredible season in 1972/73 he passed Don Fox's record career total of 503 goals and his season's total of 139 beat Fox's previous record of 129. The highlight of this season was his eight goals from eight attempts in Rovers 33-14 RL Cup Final win over Bradford at Wembley on 12 May 1973, which still remains an individual record for the most goals in a Challenge Cup final - and all at the age of thirty-four! A year later, he lost out to Harold Box in the 1974 final, having played in the semi-final, and he announced his retirement in June 1974.

Whilst goal-kicking records dominated his career, it should be remembered that in the twilight of his career Cyril Kellett resisted the claims of a young and very talented Harold Box for the number 1 spot, a tribute to his general play. A gentleman both on and off the field, Kellett supplemented his superlative accuracy in marksmanship with a quiet, unflappable approach to his game. He was not the quickest of players, but his ability and experience ensured that he was a master at running cut of defence. His record of 557 goals for Featherstone has still only been beaten by 3 players (Steve Quinn, Stuart Dickens and Liam Finn) in a rugby league career stretching from 1956 to 1974 he amassed 1,768 goals and 3,686 points. In the words of his adopted song, 'nice one, Cyril'. The Rugby League world was saddened by his untimely death in 1993 - a tribute to the affection felt for this great player.

 

Biography by Ron Bailey