{{short description|Australia international rugby league footballer}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Matt Gidley |fullname = Matthew Gidley |image = Matthew Gidley.JPG |image_size = 130 |caption = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1977|7|1}} |birth_place = Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |height = {{convert|186|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|94|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} |retired = yes |position = {{rlp|CE|FE}} |club1 = Newcastle Knights |year1start = 1996 |year1end = 06 |appearances1 = 222<!-- including World Club Challenge appearance, 2002--> |tries1 = 69 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 1 |points1 = 273 |club2 = St Helens |year2start = 2007 |year2end = 10 |appearances2 = 124<!-- including World Club Challenge appearance, 2007--> |tries2 = 48 |goals2 = 6 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 204 |teamA = Australia |yearAstart = 1999 |yearAend = 04 |appearancesA = 17 |triesA = 11 |goalsA = 0 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 44 |teamB = New South Wales |yearBstart = 2000 |yearBend = 04 |appearancesB = 11 |triesB = 5 |goalsB = 0 |fieldgoalsB = 0 |pointsB = 20 |teamC = Country Origin |yearCstart = 1997 |yearCend = 05 |appearancesC = 2 |triesC = 0 |goalsC = 0 |fieldgoalsC = 1 |pointsC = 1 |source = <ref>[http://203.166.101.37/NRL08/playercareer.asp?lplayer=111 NRL Stats]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[https://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Matthew_Gidley.html Rugby League Project]</ref><ref>[https://www.loverugbyleague.com/stats/players/Matt-Gidley/ loverugbyleague]</ref> |updated = 22 August 2008 | module = {{infobox person | embed = yes | father = | mother = | spouse = | education = | alma_mater = | relatives = Kurt Gidley (brother) }} }}
'''Matthew "Matt" Gidley''' (born 1 July 1977) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and administrator. Gidley played for the Newcastle Knights in the ARL Premiership and the NRL, and St Helens in the Super League, and for New South Wales in the State of Origin series and Australia at international level. He is also the former CEO of Football Operations at Newcastle.
==Background== Gidley was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Matt is the older brother of the former Newcastle Knights and Warrington Wolves halfback Kurt Gidley.
Playing as a youngster in the Newcastle Rugby League for the Wests club, While attending Glendale High School, Gidley played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=SportingPulse Homepage for Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=7-2130-0-0-0&sID=26424|access-date=2008-10-10|publisher=SportingPulse|archive-date=31 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131030043/http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=7-2130-0-0-0&sID=26424|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Playing career== ===Newcastle=== {{BLP unreferenced section|date=April 2024}} Gidley had played all his junior football in the {{rlp|fe}} position, however with Matthew Johns taking up the position in the Knights line up, he slotted in to right {{rlp|ce}}.{{Citation needed|date=July 2007}} Gidley was selected for the Australian team to compete in the end of season 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final against New Zealand, he played at centre in the Kangaroos' 22-20 victory. Gidley played at centre for Newcastle in their 2001 NRL grand final victory against the Parramatta Eels. At the end of the 2001 NRL season, he went on the 2001 Kangaroo tour. Having won the 2001 NRL Premiership, the Knights travelled to England to play the 2002 World Club Challenge against Super League champions, the Bradford Bulls. Gidley played at centre and scored a try in Newcastle's loss. thumb|Gidley playing for St Helens in 2007 Gidley became famous for his wing/centre combination with former Knight Timana Tahu. A common play was for the ball to be sent out to the right side of the field where Gidley would run, draw one or two players in before doing the famous Gidley flick pass to Tahu or placing a grubber kick down the line. This play was used at both club and representative level.
2006 saw a rejuvenation of sorts for Gidley seeing him recapture some of his old magic flick pass play with Knights winger Brian Carney. In 2006, Gidley retired from representative football, aiming to focus on playing well at club level. This move was questionable as it was right before the annual City vs Country Origin clash, where many thought Gidley was going to make the Country side in the centre position.
He became only the 4th Newcastle Knight to play more than 200 career games.
===St Helens=== Gidley joined English club St Helens in the Super League as a replacement for Jamie Lyon in 2007 when Lyon returned to Australia with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. His first match for the English club was their victory in the 2007 World Club Challenge over the Brisbane Broncos.
He played in the 2007 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Catalans Dragons at Wembley Stadium.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Dilger | first = Simon | title = Saints 'overwhelmed' at win | work = Sky Sports | place = UK | page = | language = | publisher = BSkyB | date = 25 August 2007 | url = http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_2685080,00.html | accessdate = 18 October 2010}}</ref>
Gidley was named in the Super League Dream Team for 2008's Super League XIII.<ref name="2008 engage Super League Dream Team">{{cite web|url=http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=11755 |title=2008 engage Super League Dream Team |publisher=Super League |date=15 September 2008 |access-date=2008-09-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721195910/http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=11755 |archive-date=21 July 2010 }}</ref>
He played in the 2008 Super League Grand Final defeat by the Leeds Rhinos.<ref name="2008 Grand Final">{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7642170.stm|title=2008 Grand Final|publisher=BBC|date=4 October 2008|access-date=2008-10-05}}</ref>
He played in the 2009 Super League Grand Final defeat by the Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford.<ref name="sky-gf-report">{{cite web|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Rugby-League-Super-League-Leeds-Rhinos-St-Helens-Old-Trafford-Grand-Final/Article/200910215403491|title=Rhinos Take Super League Title|date=2009-10-11|publisher=Sky News|access-date=22 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=AFP|title=Leeds makes it Super League hat-trick|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-10-11/leeds-makes-it-super-league-hat-trick/1098564|access-date=22 November 2019|newspaper=ABC News|date=11 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Fletcher|first=Paul|title=St Helens 10-18 Leeds Rhinos|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/8290503.stm|access-date=22 November 2019|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=10 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Stewart|first=Rob|title=Lee Smith targets place in England rugby union team after Grand Final victory|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyleague/6299292/Lee-Smith-targets-place-in-England-rugby-union-team-after-Grand-Final-victory.html|access-date=22 November 2019|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=12 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sinfield hails historic title win|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/leeds/8301354.stm|access-date=22 November 2019|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=11 October 2009}}</ref>
He then put pen to paper on a one-year contract to keep him at Knowsley Road for 2010.<ref name="Gidley Signs New Deal at Saints">{{cite web|url=http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=14459|title=Gidley Signs New Deal at Saints|publisher=Rugby Football League|date=22 June 2009|access-date=22 June 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825215037/http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=14459|archive-date=25 August 2012}}</ref>
==Administration career== In 2011, Gidley returned to the Newcastle Knights as the Business Development Manager before being appointed the CEO of Football Operations in June 2011 by the new owners, Hunter Sports Group.<ref>[http://www.rleague.com/content/article.php?id=39988 Matt Gidley named Knights CEO of Football Operations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026145226/http://www.rleague.com/content/article.php?id=39988 |date=26 October 2012 }} ''rleague.com'', 23 June 2011</ref> Meanwhile, his younger brother Kurt was club captain.
He stepped down as CEO on 1 November 2017.<ref>[https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4941503/matt-gidley-leaves-knights Matt Gidley Leaves Knights]</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://www.saintsrlfc.com/player/3 St Helens profile] *[http://www.nrl.com/Clubs/Knights/KnightsPlayerProfile/tabid/248/playerid/260/Default.aspx Matt Gidley NRL profile]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071024201945/http://www.stateoforigin.com.au/SOOgame/PlayerDetails.aspx?Pid=141 State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats] *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/rugby_league/2001/ashes/gidley.stm 2001 Ashes profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717085927/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/rugby_league/2001/ashes/gidley.stm |date=17 July 2009 }} *[https://www.saints.org.uk/saints/player.php?num=16673 Saints Heritage Society profile]
{{Newcastle Knights squad 2001 NRL premiership}} {{St Helens - 2007 World Club Challenge winners}} {{St Helens - 2007 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{St Helens - 2008 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Australia 2000 Rugby League World Cup Squad}} {{2001 Kangaroo Tour squad}} {{2008 Super League Dream Team}} {{2009 Super League Dream Team}} {{Newcastle Knights Team of the Era}} {{Newcastle Rugby League Team of the Century}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gidley, Matthew}} Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Australia national rugby league team players Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England Category:Australian rugby league administrators Category:Australian rugby league players Category:Country New South Wales Origin rugby league team players Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players Category:Newcastle Knights captains Category:Newcastle Knights players Category:Rugby league centres Category:Rugby league players from Newcastle, New South Wales Category:St Helens R.F.C. players Category:Western Suburbs Rosellas players