New Gold Coast Titans assistant Neil Henry to take Albert Kelly under his wing
NEW Titans assistant coach Neil Henry will be entrusted with transforming dynamo halfback Albert Kelly into the next Johnathan Thurston.
Henry visited Titans headquarters for the first time on Tuesday, meeting with fellow assistant Steve Murphy and football manager Scott Clark, while coach John Cartwright is away on holidays.
The former Cowboys coach will move to the Gold Coast next month before assuming his role as an attacking specialist.
One of his missions is to mould livewire Kelly into the type of player he’s helped Test star Thurston become.
Henry coached the Queensland pivot at the Cowboys for five years and also mentored him at Origin level. He said helping develop Kelly and five-eighth Aidan Sezer was near the top of his agenda.
"Sezer and Kelly are both young halves who are developing," he said.
.."Albert Kelly in particular showed what he can do (this year). He’s very quick and when he takes the line on he’s very dangerous.
"Those two will develop as a combination."
Henry is renowned for his tactical nous and is the first real addition to Gold Coast’s coaching ranks since the club was formed in 2007.
While Cartwright and Trevor Gillmeister are defence-minded, Henry and Murphy will be given the attacking duties.
It’s an area the Titans have struggled in through their seven-year history, but Henry said he saw enough talent in Gold Coast’s roster to turn that around.
Henry will head south and join the Titans in 2014.
.."It’s an exciting roster. There’s some talented players and older players too," he said.
"There’s a good leadership group and an exciting young halves pairing with good speed out wide.
"There’s been a couple of astute buys in the off-season to come to the club."
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