Kel O'Shea
Second row
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2008
- Date of Birth:
- 13 July 1933
- Birthplace:
- Ayr, QLD
- Nickname:
- -
- Debut Team:
- North Queensland
- Date:
- 22 June 1952
- Opposition:
- New Zealand
- Venue:
- Townsville Sports Reserve, QLD
- Representative:
- City, Queensland, New South Wales, Australia
- Clubs:
- Ayr Colts, Western Suburbs, Maitland
Career
Milestones
- Grand Finals Appearances: 1961, 1963
- JG Stephenson Trophy: 1954
- Kangaroo Tour: 1956-57
- Rated No. 72 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
- Named in NRL Team of the 1950s: 2007
Playing
- First Class Games
- 177
- Points
- 150
- Tries
- 50
Biography
In the history of rugby league in Australia, it is difficult to find a more devastating second-row combination than Kel O'Shea and Norm Provan.
Both were tall, strong, fast and non-stop workers in attack and defence.
O'Shea gained his first representative selection for Queensland and then Australia in 1954, while he was playing in Ayr in Queensland.
It was simply a matter of time before he was enticed to move to Sydney and in 1956 he signed with Western Suburbs and was a cornerstone in their drive up the competition ladder.
In his first season in the Sydney premiership he played for NSW and in Tests against New Zealand, before making the 1956–57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France.
O'Shea played in the three Tests in England on that tour, but without Provan, who had to watch from the stand because of a nagging leg injury.
In 1957, O'Shea was a key member of Australia's outstanding World Cup team. He wound up his representative career with selection in the three Tests against Great Britain in 1958, but premiership victory eluded him against the might of the great St George machine.
O'Shea played in 112 first-grade games for Western Suburbs, including the 1961 and 1963 grand finals (he was injured in 1958 and ill in 1962).
“He had more speed over the paddock than any second-rower I ever saw.”
Norm Provan 1956-57 Kangaroo team-mate
52. Kel O'Shea - Hall of Fame
Career Stats
Club Career
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayr Colts | Ayr Competition | 1951 | 1954 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Southern Suburbs Brisbane | Brisbane Club Competition | 1955 | 1955 | 5 | 3 | - | - | 9 |
| Western Suburbs | Premiership | 1956 | 1963 | 111 | 30 | - | - | 90 |
| Western Suburbs | Official Pre-Season | 1962 | 1962 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 6 |
| Maitland | Newcastle Competition | 1964 | 1965 | - | - | - | - | - |
Representative Career
City - Country
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Firsts | Country Firsts |
1956
1958
1961 |
1956
1958
1961 |
3 | - | - | - | - |
| City Seconds | Country Seconds | 1959 | 1959 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
Intercity
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Queensland | Touring International Teams | 1952 | 1953 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 6 |
State
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | Interstate Series | New South Wales | 1953 | 1955 | 8 | - | - | - | - |
| Queensland | Touring Sides | 1953 | 1954 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 6 | |
| New South Wales | Interstate Series | Queensland | 1956 | 1958 | 7 | - | - | - | - |
| New South Wales | Touring Sides | 1958 | 1958 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
International
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Tests and World Cup | 1954 | 1958 | 20 | 7 | - | - | 21 |
| Australia | Tour Matches |
1954
1956 |
1954
1957 |
11 | 3 | - | - | 9 |
| Australia | Rest of the World | 1957 | 1957 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
Hall of Fame Members
National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
