Matt Sing
Encyclopedia
Matthew Charles Sing is an Australia
n semi-retired professional rugby league
footballer for the Central Comets
in the Queensland Cup. His first grade career spanned much of the 1990s and 2000s. Of Indigenous Australian background, Sing represented Australia and Queensland, while playing club football in the National Rugby League
and, later in England's Super League
. He played for Penrith Panthers
between 1993 and 1995, Sydney Roosters
from 1996 to 2001 and for the North Queensland Cowboys
between 2002 and 2006. Sing is one of the most prolific try scorers in recent years of the National Rugby League
, and has represented Queensland and Australia regularly since 1995
.
In 2000, Matt Sing was awarded the Australian Sports Medal
for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league. That year he also played in the Roosters' Grand Final loss to Brisbane.
Sing moved to the North Queensland Cowboys
in 2002 and was named the club's player of the year that season.
In 2003 Sing passed the milestone of 100 career tries. In the third game of the 2003 State of Origin series Sing was named man-of-the-match and became one of only a handful of players to score three tries in a State of Origin game. At the end of the 2003 NRL season, he went on the 2003 Kangaroo tour
.
Sing played in the 2005 NRL Grand Final
, his second, scoring a try for the Cowboys in their loss to the Tigers.
2006 was Sing's last season in the NRL. He was the leading try-scorer in the history of the North Queensland Cowboys
, having scored 60 tries since joining the club until being overtaken by Matt Bowen
. He left the NRL with the fourth most tries in Australian rugby league history at 159.
Sing moved to English Super League
club Hull in 2007 to replace the outgoing Nathan Blacklock
. He retired at the end of the 2008 season.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n semi-retired professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer for the Central Comets
Central Comets
Central Queensland Capras are an semi-professional rugby league football club based in Rockhampton, Queensland. They currently play in the Queensland Cup, the premier rugby league competition in Queensland....
in the Queensland Cup. His first grade career spanned much of the 1990s and 2000s. Of Indigenous Australian background, Sing represented Australia and Queensland, while playing club football in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and, later in England's Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. He played for Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
between 1993 and 1995, Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
from 1996 to 2001 and for the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
between 2002 and 2006. Sing is one of the most prolific try scorers in recent years of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
, and has represented Queensland and Australia regularly since 1995
Australian Rugby League season 1995
The 1995 ARL premiership was the 88th season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the first to be run by the Australian Rugby League. For the first time since 1988, the League expanded again, with the addition of four new clubs from North Queensland, Western Australia, South...
.
In 2000, Matt Sing was awarded the Australian Sports Medal
Australian Sports Medal
The Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport.Recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, office holders, and people who maintained sporting facilities and services. Over 18,000 Medals were...
for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league. That year he also played in the Roosters' Grand Final loss to Brisbane.
Sing moved to the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
in 2002 and was named the club's player of the year that season.
In 2003 Sing passed the milestone of 100 career tries. In the third game of the 2003 State of Origin series Sing was named man-of-the-match and became one of only a handful of players to score three tries in a State of Origin game. At the end of the 2003 NRL season, he went on the 2003 Kangaroo tour
2003 Kangaroo Tour
The 2003 Kangaroo Tour was a six-match tour by the Australia national rugby league team of France, Wales and England. The last three matches were all Tests against Great Britain...
.
Sing played in the 2005 NRL Grand Final
2005 NRL Grand Final
The 2005 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2005 National Rugby League season. It was played on the night of Sunday, 2 October at Sydney's Telstra Stadium between 4th-placed Wests Tigers and 5th-placed North Queensland Cowboys, the only two clubs in the...
, his second, scoring a try for the Cowboys in their loss to the Tigers.
2006 was Sing's last season in the NRL. He was the leading try-scorer in the history of the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
, having scored 60 tries since joining the club until being overtaken by Matt Bowen
Matt Bowen
Matthew Jeremy "Matt" Bowen is an Australian rugby league player. He has spent his whole professional career with the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League , playing in over 200 matches and holding the club's record for the player with the most NRL appearances. He appeared in the...
. He left the NRL with the fourth most tries in Australian rugby league history at 159.
Sing moved to English Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
club Hull in 2007 to replace the outgoing Nathan Blacklock
Nathan Blacklock
Nathan Blacklock is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union player who primarily played as a winger.-Playing career:...
. He retired at the end of the 2008 season.
Career highlights
- NRL Debut: Panthers v South Sydney RabbitohsSouth Sydney RabbitohsThe South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
, Sydney Football StadiumAussie StadiumSydney Football Stadium is located in Moore Park, in Sydney, New South Wales. It was built in 1988, to be the city's premier "rectangular field" for rugby league, rugby union and football for major matches and domestic competition...
, Round 13 1993 - 2005 Grand Final Cowboys v West Tigers, Sydney Football Stadium 2 October 2005
- Representative Honours: - 24 games for Queensland State of Origin 1995–2005; 15 tests for Australia 1995–2005, 2003 Kangaroo Tourist, 2004 Tri-Nations tournament.