He was unique amongst Scottish rugby union defectors in that he originally played for a former pupils (FP) club, rather than one of the Border teams.
He played right-centre in Wigan's 5–4 victory over Widnes in the 1928 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1928–29 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 24 November 1928.
[4] Kinnear played left-centre and scored a try in Wigan's 13–2 victory over Dewsbury in the 1928–29 Northern Rugby Football League season's Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 4 May 1929.
He collapsed and died while playing rugby union with the RAF during World War II in 1942, aged 38.
The Scotland Rugby League Student Player of the Year Award is named after him.