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Matt McCoy

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

All information provided below is based only on data available in the RLP database and should be used as a guide only.

Vital Statistics

Full Name
Matthew Phillip McCoy
Nickname(s)
Killer
Born
Thursday, 20th December, 1923
Died
Tuesday, 20th February, 2007 (Aged 83 years and 62 days)
Place Of Birth
Wolumla, New South Wales, Australia

Competitions Won

Interstate Series
1949
NSW City vs Country Firsts
1949, 1951
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL)
1945, 1949

Biography

Originally from Bega where he was a local bookmaker, Matt ‘Killer’ McCoy was a great centre for St George in the period after World War II. McCoy served in the Pacific as an anti-artillery gunner during World War II and played rugby league in Darwin. McCoy modeled his game on Australian Test captain Ron Bailey and returned to Sydney in 1945 and had a season with Easts. After the war he returned to the South Coast where he captain-coached Bega to premiership honours and represented Country in 1947. At St George in 1948 he captained the club and proved his class at rep level by kicking seven goals for City against Country in pouring rain in 1949. After winning the premiership with Saints that year, McCoy toured NZ with the Australian team and appeared in two Tests. A tough, robust centre who gave great service to his wingers, a knee injury cut short his time with St George and he saw out the remainder of his career in North Queensland.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Representative Career - International Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Tests (Senior International Matches) -2-22-21--8---11-50.00%List
Other International Matches -1-11-16--15---1--100.00%List
Tour MatchesAustraliaAUS-7-79-914--55---61-85.71%List
Tour MatchesNew South Wales XIIINSX-1-1----------1--100.00%List
Tour MatchesCentral QueenslandCNQ-2-2---3--6----2-0.00%List
Test Series -2-22-21--8---11-50.00%List
Representative Career - Australia Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Tour MatchesNew South Wales FirstsNFI-5-52-223--52---5--100.00%List
Interstate Series 15-52-215--36---41-80.00%List
NSW City vs Country Firsts 23-3---11--22---21-66.67%List
NSW City vs Country 23-3---11--22---21-66.67%List
Club Career - Australia Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) 267-6726-2666--210--14121561.19%List
NRL Finals -7-74-44--20---52-71.43%List
Overall StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
First Class 86-8638-38117--348--15526563.95%List

Test Matches - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Australia1949 2-22-21--8---11-50.00%List

International Matches - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Australia1949 1-11-16--15---1--100.00%List

Australia - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Fighting Services II1945 1-11-1---3---1--100.00%List
NSW Country Firsts1947 1-1---2--4----1-0.00%List
NSW Firsts1949, 1951 6-63-323--55---51-83.33%List
NSW City Firsts1949, 1951 2-2---9--18---2--100.00%List
NSW XII1951 1-1----------1--100.00%List
Central QLD1954, 1958 2-2---3--6----2-0.00%List

NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Year

TeamSeason StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Eastern SuburbsEastern Suburbs19451945 NSWRFL 2-2---1--2---11-50.00%List
St GeorgeSt George19481948 NSWRFL 16-164-4---12---87150.00%List
St GeorgeSt George19491949 NSWRFL 19-1911-1152--137---144173.68%List
St GeorgeSt George19501950 NSWRFL 7-72-29--24--15-271.43%List
St GeorgeSt George19511951 NSWRFL 19-199-94--35---117157.89%List
St GeorgeSt George19521952 NSWRFL 4-4----------22-50.00%List

NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Eastern Suburbs1945 2-2---1--2---11-50.00%List
St George1948-52 65-6526-2665--208--14020561.54%List

Your Say

  • Jed Piper
    21 Sep 2016 12:53pm

    Matt McCoy captain-coached Leeton in Group 20 NSW in 1955 and 1956. Leeton were beaten in the Grand Final by Griffith in 1955 and did not make the finals in 1956.

  • Bruce Hartley
    25 May 2020 12:41pm

    In 1953 Matt McCoy because of a knee injury dropped out of first grade football but took up a coaching role in the St George Junior League with local club Arncliffe Scots. However he eventually decided to play and assisted the team to take out the local A Grade competition. His return to junior football eventually brought about a rule change in the district that would only allow grade players return to play in the Junior League if they had played a limited number of first grade games.

  • Douglas McCoy
    18 Aug 2022 10:42pm

    The New Papers stated in 1949 to 1951 that Matt McCoy was unquestionably the Greatest Rugby League Play in Australia, and probebly The Best in The World. Matt McCoy saw the Australia's Best Back in the Tour of New Zealand and highest Point Scorer for Australia. Matt McCoy was Australia's Greatest Centre and awarded Centre of The Century in Central Queensland, Greatest Bad Weather Gold Kicker of all Times. One of the 15 Legends of St George. The Immortal Johnny Raper said: Matt McCoy was the Greatest Rugby Leauge Player EVER.

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Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Max Turner, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Alan Katzmann, Michael Borg, Tim Costello