Matt King
Encyclopedia
Matt King is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer for English Super League
club, Warrington Wolves
. A New South Wales
State of Origin and Australian international representative three-quarter back, he previously played in the National Rugby League
for the Melbourne Storm
, with whom he won the 2007 NRL Grand Final
. Following his move to England, King won the 2009 and 2010 Challenge Cup
s with Warrington and was also named in the 2010 Super League Dream Team
. King agreed to join South Sydney Rabbitohs
in the NRL on a 3-year contract, at the end of the 2011 Super League season.
. When Matt was eleven he moved to Wauchope where he played Junior League for the Wauchope Blues in the under-11 and under-12 teams before moving back to Casino. When back in Casino, King joined the Lismore Marist Brothers Rams who went on to win the Group 1 A-Grade Premiership. In 2000, he was signed by the North Sydney Bears
where he worked his way through the grades at the club playing in both Jersey Flegg and reserve grade. King suffered a serious shoulder injury in 2002 while playing off the bench for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks' reserve grade side and then quit rugby league because of a claimed disinterest.
After hanging up his boots at the age of 22, King took up several odd jobs such as working as a bar man and even a garbage collector before deciding to give rugby league another go in 2003, signing with the Melbourne Storm
's feeder club, Brisbane Norths on the insistence of former North Sydney teammate Matt Orford
who was now at the Storm.
at the age of 23 against the St George Illawarra Dragons
at WIN Stadium
in round 24 of the 2003 season, impressing on his debut without scoring. King went on to make another two appearances for the club in the regular season that year, scoring his first try in round 26 against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
.
The 2004 NRL season saw King develop further as a player at the Storm, he cemented his place in the squad and was vital in the Melbourne side's attack, becoming a potent offensive weapon with his agility, pace, strength and ability to find the try line. At the conclusion of the 2004 club season, King finished with a total of fifteen tries and had developed into one of the up and coming centres in rugby league. This was recognised with his selection in the annual City vs Country
match for the Country side.
2005 became the season where King would stamp his mark on rugby league, beginning the season by scoring seven tries in the first seven games of the season including a set of doubles against Brisbane
and Canberra
and yet again impressing City vs Country selectors enough to be again selected in the annual clash. After further impressive performances King was called up for his first major representative honour, being selected for the New South Wales
State of Origin
side for all three games in 2005. In the decider he became the 9th player (and 4th New south Welshman) to score a hat-trick in state of Origin.
King finished the 2005 season at Melbourne with fourteen tries, and coupled with his three for New South Wales, earned a spot in the Australian international side for the 2005 tour of Great Britain. He played in every game on tour and was again selected out of position on the wing, yet played well enough to earn praise from the Great Britain and Ireland international winger Brian Carney who stated King was "the best winger in the world".
The following year in 2006 started off slowly for King, but as the year progressed he worked his way into form again. He was once again selected in the New South Wales side again for the annual State of Origin series, which NSW lost 2–1 to Queensland. After his side's 15–8 loss to the Brisbane Broncos
in the 2006 NRL grand final, in which he starred by scoring a try, he cost his club $5,000 after publicly criticising match referee Paul Simpkins
.
After being consistently linked with a move to the European Super League
during the early half of 2007, Matt King finally announced on 10 July 2007, that he had signed a four year deal with the Warrington Wolves
. The deal is worth approximately A$600,000 a year, making King one of the highest paid players in rugby league.
In September 2007, he finally realised his dream of playing in a premiership. The Storm won convincingly over Manly-Warringah, 34–8, and King scored an inspiring try in his last game in the NRL. Overcome with emotions, King admitted when interviewed that he had been crying shortly after the victory and that this was "the best feeling ever". Melbourne was subsequently stripped of this premiership due to salary cap breaches.
for the 2008 Super League season. In the semi-final of the 2009 Challenge Cup
against Wigan Warriors
, King scored a hat-trick
of tries to help Warrington book a place in the Wembley final for the first time in nearly 20 years. He played in the Challenge cup when the Wolves defeated the Giants on 29 August, 25–16 ironically the same day his previous club, Storm, played their last game at Olympic Park Stadium
.
On 28 November 2008, King married his long time girlfriend, Kirsten Deane in Richmond
who he had met while living and playing in Melbourne. His bridal party included former teammates, Ian Donnelly
, Dallas Johnson
and Cooper Cronk
, while guests included, Craig Bellamy, Billy Slater
and Matt Geyer
.
King played for Warrington
in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Leeds Rhinos
.
Matt King was selected for the Exiles squad for the Rugby League International Origin Match
against England
at Headingley on 10
June 2011.
On 29th June 2011 King announced that he would leave the Warrington Wolves
at the end of the 2011 Super League season to join up with departing Wigan Warriors
coach, Michael Maguire
at Russell Crowe
's NRL team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs
.
from 2012 onwards, he has signed a 3 year contract at the NRL club, joining former Storm team-mates Greg Inglis
who signed from 2011 onwards and current vice-captain, Michael Crocker
who signed from 2009 onwards.
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 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, Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
. A New South Wales
New South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
State of Origin and Australian international representative three-quarter back, he previously played 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...
for the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
, with whom he won the 2007 NRL Grand Final
2007 NRL grand final
The 2007 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive, premiership-deciding match of the 2007 NRL season. Played between the first-placed Melbourne Storm and second-placed Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Telstra Stadium on September 30, in front of 81,392 spectators. It was the fourth NRL Grand Final played...
. Following his move to England, King won the 2009 and 2010 Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
s with Warrington and was also named in the 2010 Super League Dream Team
Super League Dream Team
The Super League Dream Team is an award given each season to the players deemed to have been the best in their position in the Super League by a panel of journalists and broadcasters....
. King agreed to join South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The 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...
in the NRL on a 3-year contract, at the end of the 2011 Super League season.
Biography
King began playing rugby league at the age of seven for his local club side the Casino Cougars in northern New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. When Matt was eleven he moved to Wauchope where he played Junior League for the Wauchope Blues in the under-11 and under-12 teams before moving back to Casino. When back in Casino, King joined the Lismore Marist Brothers Rams who went on to win the Group 1 A-Grade Premiership. In 2000, he was signed by the North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
where he worked his way through the grades at the club playing in both Jersey Flegg and reserve grade. King suffered a serious shoulder injury in 2002 while playing off the bench for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks' reserve grade side and then quit rugby league because of a claimed disinterest.
After hanging up his boots at the age of 22, King took up several odd jobs such as working as a bar man and even a garbage collector before deciding to give rugby league another go in 2003, signing with the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
's feeder club, Brisbane Norths on the insistence of former North Sydney teammate Matt Orford
Matt Orford
Matthew Orford is an Australian professional rugby league player, last playing for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League competition...
who was now at the Storm.
Melbourne
After moving to the Storm's feeder club in Brisbane, King played for nearly a year before being selected to make his debut in the National Rugby LeagueNational 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...
at the age of 23 against the St George Illawarra Dragons
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the...
at WIN Stadium
WIN Stadium
Wollongong Showground is a rectangular multi-purpose stadium located in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawarra Steelers NRL team...
in round 24 of the 2003 season, impressing on his debut without scoring. King went on to make another two appearances for the club in the regular season that year, scoring his first try in round 26 against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
.
The 2004 NRL season saw King develop further as a player at the Storm, he cemented his place in the squad and was vital in the Melbourne side's attack, becoming a potent offensive weapon with his agility, pace, strength and ability to find the try line. At the conclusion of the 2004 club season, King finished with a total of fifteen tries and had developed into one of the up and coming centres in rugby league. This was recognised with his selection in the annual City vs Country
City vs Country Origin
City vs Country is an annual Australian rugby league football match that takes place in New South Wales between City and Country representative sides. The City side represents the Sydney metropolitan area...
match for the Country side.
2005 became the season where King would stamp his mark on rugby league, beginning the season by scoring seven tries in the first seven games of the season including a set of doubles against Brisbane
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
and Canberra
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
and yet again impressing City vs Country selectors enough to be again selected in the annual clash. After further impressive performances King was called up for his first major representative honour, being selected for the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
side for all three games in 2005. In the decider he became the 9th player (and 4th New south Welshman) to score a hat-trick in state of Origin.
King finished the 2005 season at Melbourne with fourteen tries, and coupled with his three for New South Wales, earned a spot in the Australian international side for the 2005 tour of Great Britain. He played in every game on tour and was again selected out of position on the wing, yet played well enough to earn praise from the Great Britain and Ireland international winger Brian Carney who stated King was "the best winger in the world".
The following year in 2006 started off slowly for King, but as the year progressed he worked his way into form again. He was once again selected in the New South Wales side again for the annual State of Origin series, which NSW lost 2–1 to Queensland. After his side's 15–8 loss to the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
in the 2006 NRL grand final, in which he starred by scoring a try, he cost his club $5,000 after publicly criticising match referee Paul Simpkins
Paul Simpkins
Paul Simpkins is a retired Australian professional rugby league referee, officiating in the Australian first-grade competition, National Rugby League. In addition to regularly working the NRL, Simpkins also officiated at the annual State of Origin tournament between Queensland and New South Wales...
.
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...
during the early half of 2007, Matt King finally announced on 10 July 2007, that he had signed a four year deal with the Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
. The deal is worth approximately A$600,000 a year, making King one of the highest paid players in rugby league.
In September 2007, he finally realised his dream of playing in a premiership. The Storm won convincingly over Manly-Warringah, 34–8, and King scored an inspiring try in his last game in the NRL. Overcome with emotions, King admitted when interviewed that he had been crying shortly after the victory and that this was "the best feeling ever". Melbourne was subsequently stripped of this premiership due to salary cap breaches.
Warrington
King started playing in England with the Warrington WolvesWarrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
for the 2008 Super League season. In the semi-final of the 2009 Challenge Cup
2009 Challenge Cup
The 2009 Carnegie Challenge Cup began in January 2009. The Challenge Cup is the most prestigious knock-out competition in European rugby league. Teams from England, Scotland, Wales, France and Russia are included in the tournament....
against Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
, King scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
of tries to help Warrington book a place in the Wembley final for the first time in nearly 20 years. He played in the Challenge cup when the Wolves defeated the Giants on 29 August, 25–16 ironically the same day his previous club, Storm, played their last game at Olympic Park Stadium
Olympic Park Stadium
Olympic Park Stadium was a multi-purpose outdoor stadium located on Olympic Boulevard in inner Melbourne. The stadium was built as an athletics training venue for the 1956 Olympics, a short distance from the MCG, which served as the Olympic Stadium...
.
On 28 November 2008, King married his long time girlfriend, Kirsten Deane in Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
who he had met while living and playing in Melbourne. His bridal party included former teammates, Ian Donnelly
Ian Donnelly
Ian Donnelly was a rugby league player for the Cronulla Sharks and previously for the Gold Coast Titans, Melbourne Storm, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the St George Illawarra Dragons.-External links:***...
, Dallas Johnson
Dallas Johnson
Dallas Johnson is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League and formerly the Melbourne Storm and Catalans Dragons. He plays primarily as a lock forward.Between 2007 and 2009, Johnson played in four consecutive NRL grand finals...
and Cooper Cronk
Cooper Cronk
Cooper Patrick Cronk is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing for the Melbourne Storm of the NRL...
, while guests included, Craig Bellamy, Billy Slater
Billy Slater
Billy Slater is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League . An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative fullback, he has played his whole NRL career to date at Melbourne...
and Matt Geyer
Matt Geyer
Matt Geyer is an Australian rugby league footballer for the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup. A New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, he played his club football primarily with the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League competition, winning premierships with them in 1999...
.
King played for Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
.
Matt King was selected for the Exiles squad for the Rugby League International Origin Match
Rugby League International Origin Match
The Rugby League International Origin Match is an annual rugby league fixture between the English national side and an Exiles side consisting of foreign players currently playing in the English Super League competition. The match was held for the first time at Headingley Carnegie Stadium in Leeds...
against England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
at Headingley on 10
June 2011.
On 29th June 2011 King announced that he would leave the Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
at the end of the 2011 Super League season to join up with departing Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
coach, Michael Maguire
Michael Maguire (rugby league)
Michael Maguire is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia's National Rugby League . After serving as assistant coach of the Melbourne Storm under Craig Bellamy, in 2009 he became the head coach of...
at Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
's NRL team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The 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...
.
South Sydney
King is set to join South Sydney RabbitohsSouth Sydney Rabbitohs
The 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...
from 2012 onwards, he has signed a 3 year contract at the NRL club, joining former Storm team-mates Greg Inglis
Greg Inglis
Greg Inglis is an Australian professional rugby league player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative outside back, Inglis joined the Rabbitohs in 2011 after much controversy.Inglis is a versatile back, having played in several...
who signed from 2011 onwards and current vice-captain, Michael Crocker
Michael Crocker
Michael Crocker is an Australian professional rugby league footballer with the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the NRL...
who signed from 2009 onwards.
Quotes
"For a winger to have the impact he did in a game was incredible, his input to the team's performance was significant, especially in the second game. He had such an important bearing on the result. I knew he was a good player but I didn't know he was that good." (New South Wales coach Ricky StuartRicky StuartRicky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
, commenting on King's performances after the 2005 State of Origin.)
"I haven't had the rise of a normal first-grader so I really appreciate where I am at the moment and it's something I don't take for granted." (King comments on his unusual rise to fame and quick success.)