| Utai in 2008 | ||||||
| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Okeuy Utai[1] | |||||
| Born | 25 May 1981 Auckland, New Zealand |
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| Height | 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) | |||||
| Weight | 96 kg (15 st 2 lb) | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Wing, Centre | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2002–2009 | Bulldogs | 124 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 284 |
| 2011– | Wests Tigers | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Total | 144 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 308 | |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2002–2005 | New Zealand | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2008 | Samoa | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| As of 30 August 2011 | ||||||
| Source: League Central RLP | ||||||
Matthew Utai (born 25 May 1981 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Wests Tigers in the NRL and has previously represented both New Zealand and Samoa. His usual position is on the wing.
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Utai was a Berala Bears and came through the development squads at the Canterbury Bulldogs.[2] In 2000, Utai started the year in Jersey Flegg, but his form warranted promotion to the Reserve Grade side and he played in 16 matches including scoring two tries in the Grand Final victory against the Penrith Panthers.
He made his first grade debut in 2002.
He was a member of the Bulldogs' 2004 Premiership winning team in their 16–13 win over the Sydney Roosters, scoring two tries in the match.
In a 2006 match Utai became the first player that season to be sent off, for a swinging arm on the Wests Tigers' Stuart Flanagan. Utai was suspended for five weeks.
In 2009 Utai spent most of the season playing for the Bankstown City side in the NSW Cup. He became the only Bulldogs player to win five premierships across all grades when Bankstown City won the grand final that year.[2]
He originally signed the Crusaders Super League club for 2010 but failed to recover from a knee injury.[3][4][5] Instead Utai joined NSW Country Rugby League Club, Young in Group 9.[6] Utai was then released from Young and joined the Auburn Warriors.[7] He would have signed with the Wests Tigers but Welsh Super League club Crusaders demanded a compensation fee of $130,000.
Utai joined the Wests Tigers in 2011, making his first appearance in the first round of the season. He was a regular on the wing throughout the season, and was re-signed for 2012.[8]
Utai was selected to represent the New Zealand National Team on four occasions between 2002 and 2005, all matches against Australia.
Utai is of Samoan descent and has made himself available for Samoa's 2008 Rugby League World Cup campaign.[9]
He has been named in the Samoa training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[10]
He has been named in the Samoa squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[11]
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