Matt 'Killer' McCoy

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

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

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

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

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

Competitions

Competition   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NRL 67 26 66   - 210 41 21 5 61.19% List
City vs Country Firsts 3 - 11   - 22 2 1 0 66.67% List
NRL Finals 7 4 4   - 20 5 2 0 71.43% List
Interstate Matches 5 2 15   - 36 4 1 0 80.00% List
Tour Matches Australia 7 9 14   - 55 6 1 0 85.71% List
Test Series 2 2 1   - 8 1 1 0 50.00% List
Tour Matches New South Wales XIII 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Tour Matches Central Queensland 2 - 3   - 6 0 2 0 0.00% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1949 2 2 1   - 8 1 1 0 50.00% List

International Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1949 1 1 6   - 15 1 0 0 100.00% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Fighting Services II 1945 1 1 -   - 3 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW Country Firsts 1947 1 - 2   - 4 0 1 0 0.00% List
NSW Firsts 1949, 1951 6 3 23   - 55 5 1 0 83.33% List
NSW City Firsts 1949, 1951 2 - 9   - 18 2 0 0 100.00% List
NSW XII 1951 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Central QLD 1954, 1958 2 - 3   - 6 0 2 0 0.00% List
Overall1945-1958 13 4 37   0 86 9 4 0 69.23% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Eastern Suburbs NSWRFL 1945 2 - 1   - 2 1 1 0 50.00% List
St George NSWRFL 1948 16 4 -   - 12 8 7 1 50.00% List
St George NSWRFL 1949 19 11 52   - 137 14 4 1 73.68% List
St George NSWRFL 1950 7 2 9   - 24 5 0 2 71.43% List
St George NSWRFL 1951 19 9 4   - 35 11 7 1 57.89% List
St George NSWRFL 1952 4 - -   - - 2 2 0 50.00% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Eastern Suburbs 1945 2 - 1   - 2 1 1 0 50.00% List
St George 1948-52 65 26 65   - 208 40 20 5 61.54% List
Overall1945-1952 67 26 66   0 210 41 21 5 61.19% List

Your Say

  • Jed Piper
    21/09/2016

    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
    25/05/2020

    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
    18/08/2022

    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, Rugby League Tables, Greg Fiveash, Paul Carter, Alan Katzmann, Michael Borg, Tim Costello