Matt Seers

Matt Seers
Personal information
Full name Matthew Seers
Born (1974-06-28) 28 June 1974
Chinderah, New South Wales, Australia
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Playing information
Position Fullback, Centre, Five-eighth

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1993–99 North Sydney Bears 133 45 0 0 180
2000–02 Wests Tigers 54 13 0 0 52
2003 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 12 2 0 0 8
Total 199 60 0 0 240
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1995–97 Country Origin 2 1 0 0 4
1995–97 New South Wales 4 0 0 0 0
Source: [1][2][3]

Matt Seers (born 28 June 1974[4]) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer for the North Sydney Bears, Wests Tigers and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. He played as a fullback, centre and five-eighth during his career.[5]

Club career

Matt Seers played his junior football with Cudgen Hornets before becoming a student of St Gregory's College, Campbelltown for his senior years of high school. He was an Australian Secondary Schoolboys Representative in 1992.[6]

On The 29 August 1993, Seers made his first grade début against The South Sydney Rabbitohs coming off the bench in a 36-16 victory.[7]

In 1994, Seers' talent kept experienced fullback Greg Barwick in reserve grade and, in 1994, forced the club’s star signing, Manly-Warringah fullback Ivan Cleary, into the centres. He was named Norwich "Rising Star of the Year" that season.[8] In the 1994 preliminary final against Canberra, Seers managed to chase down Canberra Fullback Brett Mullins who had made a break down the centre of the field and had looked certain to score a try. Norths went on to lose the game 22-9.[9]

In 1996, Seers played 18 games and scored 7 tries including a try in The 1996 preliminary final defeat against The St George Dragons.[10]

In 1997, Seers played in 25 games as Norths made it to the preliminary final before losing to eventual premiers Newcastle. During the match with Newcastle leading 12-4, Seers made a break down the right hand touchline and looked certain to score a try when Darren Albert raced across the field and tackled Seers just short of the line.[11] Norths made the semis again in 1998, with Seers making a mid-season change to centre and Ben Ikin playing at fullback. Seers played over a hundred games for the Bears, but after a period in rehab for a drug problem,[8][12] signed with the Tigers for 2000.

After initially being left out of the first Wests Tigers' teams,[8] Seers had some success under coach Terry Lamb. Seers moved to the European Super League club Wakefield Trinity Wildcats for the 2003 season. He was released by the club in August the same year after breaking his hand a few months earlier.[13]

Seers signed a one-year contract with the Cronulla Sharks for the 2004 season, but failed to play any first grade.[14] In 2010, Seers joined Craig Field to play for the Cudgen Hornets in the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League.[15]

Representative

In 1995, Seers made his début at fullback for Country Origin. Two years later he scored a try in the team's 17-4 victory over City.[16]

Seers was selected for four New South Wales State of Origin games. He was on the bench for the first and third games in 1995 and the second round in 1997. Seers was given a start on the wing in the third 1997 Origin game.

Personal life

Seers is the cousin of former Tiger team-mate Craig Field.[12]

On 15 January 2015 Seers was arrested and charged with supplying and trafficking cocaine.[17] In February 2018 Seers was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment (balance suspended after he has served 12 months in jail) for his part in a syndicate that provided cocaine to footballers.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Rugby League Project". Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  2. ↑ RL stats
  3. ↑ SL stats
  4. ↑ "Rugby League in New Zealand". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  5. ↑ "State of Origin player details". Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  6. ↑ "St Gregory's College Intouch magazine". Retrieved 2009-05-10.
  7. ↑ http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nswrl-1993/round-22/south-sydney-vs-north-sydney/summary.html
  8. 1 2 3 "Matt Seers at Yesterday's Hero". www.yesterdayshero.com.au. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  9. ↑ http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nswrl-1994/prelim-final/canberra-vs-north-sydney/summary.html
  10. ↑ http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/arl-1996/prelim-final/st-george-vs-north-sydney/summary.html
  11. ↑ http://commentaryboxsports.com/australian/nrl/windback-wednesday-albert-runs-seers.html
  12. 1 2 "Field and McGuinness face two-year drug bans". Daily Liberal. 13 March 2001. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  13. ↑ "Seers and Sovatabua released by Wakefield" (Fee required). The Independent (London, England). 2003-08-29. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  14. ↑ "Seers thrown NRL lifeline". Illawarra Mercury. Fairfax. 20 March 2004. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  15. ↑ Jamie Gallagher (4 February 2010). "Hornets confident of top placing". Tweed Daily News. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  16. ↑ "Matt Seers at RLP". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  17. ↑ "Former league player Matt Seers charged with drug trafficking". Brisbane Times. 15 January 2015.
  18. ↑ "Former State of Origin star Matt Seers jailed over drugs ring". The Australian. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.

Sources

  • Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd. ISBN 978-1-877082-93-1.
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