Matt Sing

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Born
Thursday, 13th March, 1975
Current Age
49 years and 16 days
Place Of Birth
Winton, Queensland, Australia

Biography

Originally from Winton in Central Queensland, Matt Sing came to Penrith after representing Central Queensland U'17s as a halfback. When his lower grade form faltered, Sing was sent to Penrith’s Junior League where he was moved to centre by former Panthers’ coach Len Stacker. Such was the improvement in Sing’s confidence that he lasted only one game before being sent back to grade. In quick succession, he was chosen for the Junior Kangaroos and named Penrith’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 1994. Not unlike Steve Renouf in his running style (and trademark headgear), Sing remained with the ARL when Penrith joined Super League in 1995 and made his State of Origin debut on the wing in Queensland’s whitewash of NSW. When winger Brett Dallas was injured in the First Test against NZ, Sing was called into the Australian Test team as his replacement for the rest of the series but missed World Cup selection when he was injured late in the year. Penrith threatened legal action when Sing signed with ARL stronghold Easts but in the ensuing court action, Penrith’s move to Super League nullified the hold the club had on Sing and team-mate Brad Fittler. Sing extended his Test career with matches against Papua New Guinea (1996) and Rest of the World (1997) but was originally overlooked for Test duty after the reunification of the game in 1998. Consistently chosen in Queensland’s State of Origin team and a big-game player with the Roosters (2000 grand final winger), he signed with the Nth Queensland North Queensland at the end of 2001. Just when it appeared that he rep career may be winding down Sing was recalled into Queensland’s State of Origin team in 2003 and then became the Cowboy’s first Test player when selected in the one-off Test against NZ in July in which he crossed for 2 tries. In 2004, as Nth Queensland made its charge into the play-offs, Sing came back from a broken jaw injury suffered in the third State of Origin match to score three tries in the North Queensland’ 30-22 win over eventual premiers C’bury in the quarter final. Chosen in the Australian team for the 2004 Tri Nations, he announced his retirement from rep duty after playing in all five Tests in England, including the 44-4 thrashing of Great Britain in the final. Sing contradicted that stance in a highly successful 2005 season – representing Australia in the one-off Test against NZ in April, playing for Queensland in all three matches of the State of Origin series and scoring a try in the North Queensland’ grand final loss to the W’Tigers. Sing left the club the following year to join English club Hull; an unassuming, underrated player except for those who followed his career his 159 career tries placed him fifth on the list of try-scorers in the history of the game.
- 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 275 159 -   - 636 149 122 4 54.18% List
State of Origin 24 5 -   - 20 10 14 0 41.67% List
Test Series 3 - -   - - 3 0 0 100.00% List
NRL Finals 22 9 -   - 36 10 12 0 45.45% List
Anzac Tests 2 1 -   - 4 2 0 0 100.00% List
Tour Matches Australia 4 3 -   - 12 4 0 0 100.00% List
The Ashes 2 - -   - - 2 0 0 100.00% List
Tri-Nations 5 1 -   - 4 3 1 1 60.00% List
Super League 41 14 -   - 56 15 25 1 36.59% List
Challenge Cup 7 3 -   - 12 5 2 0 71.43% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1995-96, 1999, 2003-05 13 4 -   - 16 10 2 1 76.92% List

International Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1995-2004 2 1 -   - 4 2 0 0 100.00% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
QLD 1995-00, 2003-05 24 5 -   - 20 10 14 0 41.67% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Penrith NSWRL 1993 4 - -   - - 2 2 0 50.00% List
Penrith NSWRL 1994 17 6 -   - 24 8 8 1 47.06% List
Penrith ARL 1995 15 8 -   - 32 6 9 0 40.00% List
Sydney City ARL 1996 21 12 -   - 48 14 6 1 66.67% List
Sydney City ARL 1997 22 11 -   - 44 14 7 1 63.64% List
Sydney City NRL 1998 27 15 -   - 60 18 9 0 66.67% List
Sydney City NRL 1999 20 13 -   - 52 14 6 0 70.00% List
Sydney NRL 2000 19 13 -   - 52 12 7 0 63.16% List
Sydney NRL 2001 26 8 -   - 32 13 12 1 50.00% List
North QLD NRL 2002 23 16 -   - 64 8 15 0 34.78% List
North QLD NRL 2003 20 21 -   - 84 9 11 0 45.00% List
North QLD NRL 2004 12 7 -   - 28 6 6 0 50.00% List
North QLD NRL 2005 25 16 -   - 64 14 11 0 56.00% List
North QLD NRL 2006 24 13 -   - 52 11 13 0 45.83% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Penrith 1993-95 36 14 -   - 56 16 19 1 44.44% List
Sydney City 1996-01 135 72 -   - 288 85 47 3 62.96% List
North QLD 2002-06 104 73 -   - 292 48 56 0 46.15% List
Overall1993-2006 275 159 0   0 636 149 122 4 54.18% List

English Career - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Hull FC 2007 26 12 -   - 48 13 12 1 50.00% List
Hull FC 2008 22 5 -   - 20 7 15 0 31.82% List

English Career - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Hull FC 2007-08 48 17 -   - 68 20 27 1 41.67% List

Your Say

  • Anonymous
    08/09/2012

    One of the most underrated players to play the game. Saved more tries then he scored and was instrumental in the Cowboys first good years of 04-05. The way he came back onto the rep scene after being thought of as too old and washed up is nothing short of amazing as well.

  • Lachlan Cole
    03/12/2013

    No wonder you were one of the best players to come from QLD because the amount of tries that you scored is sensational.

  • Ernie
    29/11/2014

    Matt sing.easily greatest league player out of central qld.ernie sandilands

  • Peter Magill
    25/03/2021

    An excellent player, very underrated but the stats tell the true brilliance of this unassuming and unique talent. To top it all off he is also a TOP BLOKE. 25/3/21.

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Contributions: Rugby League Tables, Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Alan Katzmann, AJ Lucantonio, Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash, Bill Bates

Sources: ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1996, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1997, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2002, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2003, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2004, NRL 2004 Official Rugby League Annual, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1999, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2000, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2001, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1998, 2006 Official Rugby League Annual, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1994, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1995