Matty Sing Quits Rep Football

[Parrasque]

Sing quits rep football
Mon Dec 06, 1:48pm (QLD)
Written by: Matthew O'Neill
North Queensland winger Matt Sing has announced that he'll be standing down from representative football to concentrate on his career with the improving Cowboys outfit.

Sing has played 11 Tests and 21 State of Origin matches between 1995-2004 and has enjoyed 10 good seasons at the top.

The 29-year-old has played 226 first grade games for the Cowboys and has scored 130 tries, which is 12 tries behind the 10th placed Steve Renouf and 35 shy of Andrew Ettingshausen who is in 2nd position.

Sing has been with the Cowboys for the last three seasons where he has scored 44 tries in 55 matches. With the Cowboys expecting several Origin representatives next year plus with the birth of a new child, Sing decided it was in his best interests for his club and family that he steps down from the representative arena.

The Dysart Bulls junior has had previous stints with Penrith between 1993-95 and the Sydney Roosters between 1996-2001. Sing earlier in his career was labelled the next Steve Renouf, especially when he had the trademark Renouf headgear and he has certainly lived up to the hype and carved out a fine career for himself.
from rleague.com

I woulda thought Sing had a few more years in him. He wasnt at his best this Tri-Nations but he is a good player.

 

[In-goal]

All in all it's not a showing of player burnout IMO it's a player who realises that he can help his club for an extra season and let younger players get on with the job.

 

[Azkatro]

I think what would have swayed Matty's decision was the events over this year's Tri-Nations - he missed his wife giving birth so I reckon he doesn't want to be dragged away from his family anymore than club footy takes him.

 

[thuganomics]

Yer he wasn't at his best this tri-nations but he is still one of the top wingers right now.

 

[Belly in Brisvegas]

As a Queenslander, this is a sad day but a joyous day all the same.

We say goodbye to someone who helped save Queenslands' arse on more than one occassion.

I'll leave the last words to Paul Vautin when commentating the 3rd SOO in 2003. Matty Sing had a blinder and one of the plays of the game was Matty bringing the ball out of the in goal and making it back into the field of play, severely under the pump of the blues approaching defence "Oh he's the best...he is the best". Maybe ol' Fatty got caught up in the emotion but Singy was pretty bloody good all he same!

Onya "Kung Fu".

 

[Broncodroid]

Congrats on a fine, and in some ways unexpected, representative career Matt Sing. A QLD player who time and time again came up big for us in attack and defence, his retirement ends on a high after being part of a victorious Australian team who claimed the Tri-Series trophy with a polished 44-4 win. On a bitter note, he was part of a QLD team that lost 2-1 in 2004.

This opens the door again for Chris Walker (despite his critics, he will ge a contender), Gary Tupou depending on his form early in the Brisbane season, Brent Tate's career as a rep winger and perhaps even accomodating Rhys Wesser to make way for Matt Bowen or Karmichael Hunt.

QLD have options, though in some respect we lose something with the Matt Sing retirement.

 

[Azkatro]

My most unforgettable memories of Matt Sing are still his debut State of Origin series in 1995. He was one of the many Queenslanders that we'd never seen or heard of before and here he was pulling off some of the most incredible one on one heroic tackles you're ever likely to see from a winger in State of Origin football. Legendary stuff.