Matthew Scott
Encyclopedia
Matthew Scott is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer and current co-captain (with Johnathan Thurston
) for the North Queensland Cowboys
of the National Rugby League
(NRL). A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative front-row forward, he has played his whole career to date with the Cowboys.
and played junior football in the nearby town of Longreach. He moved to St. Brendan's College
in Yeppoon
as a boarder after being spotted by one of the school's coaches at an outback carnival. He was signed by the North Queensland Cowboys
during his schoolboy days.
. Scott broke his leg in the opening minutes of the match, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Scott made his representative debut for Queensland in the 2006 State of Origin series. However, he was dropped from the Queensland team after a 17–16 defeat to New South Wales
and would not play in another Origin fixture until 2009. Speaking in 2009, Scott said that at the time, he thought his removal from the 2006 team was "harsh", but that he "obviously didn't step up and deliver".
Scott's 2007 and 2008 seasons were affected by injuries, but a strong 2009 season saw him return to the Queensland team for the third and final match of the year's State of Origin series. That August he signed a new four-year contract with the Cowboys.
Scott was named the Cowboys' player of the year and players player for the 2010 season
, though it was a poor season for the team, finishing 15th on the NRL ladder in front of only the Melbourne Storm
, who had been stripped of all their premiership points due to salary cap breaches. Scott was Queensland's starting prop for all three matches of the year's State of Origin series and made his debut for the Australia national team
in the season-ending Four Nations series. He was selected as Australia's starting prop for the series final against New Zealand
, edging veteran Petero Civoniceva
out of the side.
In 2011, Scott was appointed as the co-captain of the Cowboys, sharing the position with Johnathan Thurston
, who had previously held it alone. He was also named the NRL's prop of the year in the Dally M Awards
after missing out in 2010. His performance in Game 1 of the 2011 State of Origin series
won him plaudits, with Brisbane newspaper The Courier Mail calling his "impact and workrate... enormous", and ABC Sport
praising his "powerhouse display up front". He and fellow Queensland prop Petero Civoniceva
ran the ball for a total of 301 metres during the match; their New South Wales counterparts only managed 71. Queensland won the match and went on to win the Origin series. The Cowboys returned to the NRL finals series, finishing in seventh place, and Scott was selected in the Australian squad to tour England for the Four Nations series. He scored the first try of the tournament, in Australia's 26–12 win over New Zealand; it was his first try as an international. During the tournament, the annual RLIF Awards
dinner was held at the Tower of London
and he was named prop forward of the year.
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 and current co-captain (with Johnathan Thurston
Johnathan Thurston
Johnathan Dean Thurston is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer in the NRL with the North Queensland Cowboys whom he co-captains...
) 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...
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...
(NRL). A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative front-row forward, he has played his whole career to date with the Cowboys.
Early life and schoolboy career
Scott grew up in the small town of Ilfracombe, QueenslandIlfracombe, Queensland
Ilfracombe is a small town in Queensland, Australia that calls itself The Hub of the West. The main industry is sheep rearing, mainly for wool. Ilfracombe is situated on the Landsborough Highway, about 27 km east of Longreach, 214 metres above sea level, within the Longreach Region...
and played junior football in the nearby town of Longreach. He moved to St. Brendan's College
St. Brendan's College
This article is about the school in Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia. For the school in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, please see St Brendan's, Killarney...
in Yeppoon
Yeppoon, Queensland
Yeppoon is a coastal resort town situated in Central Queensland, Australia. Located on Keppel Bay, at the 2006 census, Yeppoon had a population of 13,284.-Geography:...
as a boarder after being spotted by one of the school's coaches at an outback carnival. He was signed by 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...
during his schoolboy days.
Professional career
Scott made his first-grade debut for the Cowboys in 2004, at the age of 18, in an NRL match against the Parramatta EelsParramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
. Scott broke his leg in the opening minutes of the match, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Scott made his representative debut for Queensland in the 2006 State of Origin series. However, he was dropped from the Queensland team after a 17–16 defeat to 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...
and would not play in another Origin fixture until 2009. Speaking in 2009, Scott said that at the time, he thought his removal from the 2006 team was "harsh", but that he "obviously didn't step up and deliver".
Scott's 2007 and 2008 seasons were affected by injuries, but a strong 2009 season saw him return to the Queensland team for the third and final match of the year's State of Origin series. That August he signed a new four-year contract with the Cowboys.
Scott was named the Cowboys' player of the year and players player for the 2010 season
2010 North Queensland Cowboys season
The 2010 North Queensland Cowboys season is the 16th season in the club's history. Coached by Neil Henry and captained by Johnathan Thurston, they competed in the National Rugby League's 2010 Telstra Premiership, finishing 15th...
, though it was a poor season for the team, finishing 15th on the NRL ladder in front of only 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....
, who had been stripped of all their premiership points due to salary cap breaches. Scott was Queensland's starting prop for all three matches of the year's State of Origin series and made his debut for the Australia national team
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
in the season-ending Four Nations series. He was selected as Australia's starting prop for the series final against New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
, edging veteran Petero Civoniceva
Petero Civoniceva
Petero Civoniceva is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League...
out of the side.
In 2011, Scott was appointed as the co-captain of the Cowboys, sharing the position with Johnathan Thurston
Johnathan Thurston
Johnathan Dean Thurston is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer in the NRL with the North Queensland Cowboys whom he co-captains...
, who had previously held it alone. He was also named the NRL's prop of the year in the Dally M Awards
Dally M Awards
The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League competition. The most prestigious of these awards is the Dally M Medal which is only ever awarded to Australian born Players...
after missing out in 2010. His performance in Game 1 of the 2011 State of Origin series
2011 State of Origin series
The 2011 State of Origin series was the 30th annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams contested under "State of Origin" selection rules. Game I was played in Brisbane, Game II was played in Sydney and...
won him plaudits, with Brisbane newspaper The Courier Mail calling his "impact and workrate... enormous", and ABC Sport
ABC Sport
ABC Sport is the name given to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's sport's programming broadcast on ABC Television and ABC Local Radio.-Television:ABC Television broadcasts significantly less sport than the other Free-to-air Australian TV networks...
praising his "powerhouse display up front". He and fellow Queensland prop Petero Civoniceva
Petero Civoniceva
Petero Civoniceva is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League...
ran the ball for a total of 301 metres during the match; their New South Wales counterparts only managed 71. Queensland won the match and went on to win the Origin series. The Cowboys returned to the NRL finals series, finishing in seventh place, and Scott was selected in the Australian squad to tour England for the Four Nations series. He scored the first try of the tournament, in Australia's 26–12 win over New Zealand; it was his first try as an international. During the tournament, the annual RLIF Awards
RLIF Awards
The Rugby League International Federation currently oversees and awards the major international sporting award for rugby league on an annual basis and has done so since its inception in 2004....
dinner was held at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and he was named prop forward of the year.