# Matthew Rodwell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matthew_Rodwell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matthew_Rodwell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Rodwell > Source revision: 1266356820 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}} {{more citations needed|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Matthew Rodwell |fullname = |nickname = |image = |caption = |position = {{rlp|HB}} |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|11|18|df=yes}} |birth_place = [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales), Australia |retired = yes |height = {{convert|178|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|82|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} |club1 = [Newcastle Knights](/source/Newcastle_Knights) |year1start = 1990 |year1end = 93 |appearances1 = 44 |tries1 = 7 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 2 |points1 = 30 |club2 = [Western Reds](/source/WA_Reds) |year2start = 1995 |year2end = 97 |appearances2 = 57 |tries2 = 14 |goals2 = 0 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 56 |club3 = [St. George Dragons](/source/St._George_Dragons) |year3start = 1998 |year3end = |appearances3 = 25 |tries3 = 6 |goals3 = 0 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 24 |club4 = [St. George Illawarra](/source/St._George_Illawarra_Dragons) |year4start = 1999 |year4end = |appearances4 = 8 |tries4 = 0 |goals4 = 0 |fieldgoals4 = 0 |points4 = 0 |club5 = [Penrith Panthers](/source/Penrith_Panthers) |year5start = 2000 |year5end = 01 |appearances5 = 44 |tries5 = 9 |goals5 = 0 |fieldgoals5 = 2 |points5 = 38 |club6 = [Warrington Wolves](/source/Warrington_Wolves) |year6start = 2002 |year6end = |appearances6 = 10 |tries6 = 3 |goals6 = 0 |fieldgoals6 = 0 |points6 = 12 |updated = 23 April 2010 |source = {{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/matthew-rodwell/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}} |new = yes }} '''Matthew Rodwell''' is a former professional [rugby league](/source/rugby_league) footballer. He played for the [Newcastle Knights](/source/Newcastle_Knights), [Western Reds](/source/WA_Reds), [St. George Dragons](/source/St._George_Dragons), [St. George Illawarra Dragons](/source/St._George_Illawarra_Dragons), [Penrith Panthers](/source/Penrith_Panthers) and the [Warrington Wolves](/source/Warrington_Wolves) as a {{rlp|hb}}. ==Career== ===Australia=== After making his first grade début from the bench for the Knights in [1990](/source/1990_NSWRL_season) in a 24–4 loss to [Balmain](/source/Balmain_Tigers) at [Leichhardt Oval](/source/Leichhardt_Oval), Rodwell spent almost all of that year and [1991](/source/1991_NSWRL_season) playing in [reserve grade](/source/NSW_Cup). In [1992](/source/1992_NSWRL_season), Knights coach [David Waite](/source/David_Waite) moved [Michael Hagan](/source/Michael_Hagan) to {{rlp|FE}} and brought Rodwell into the first grade side as the halfback. Rodwell had a brilliant rookie season as the Knights reached the Semi-finals for the first time in their 5-year history. For his efforts, Rodwell won the [Dally M](/source/Dally_M_Medal) [Rookie of the Year](/source/List_of_Dally_M_Awards_winners) in 1992 as well as the Norwich Rising Star award. Despite playing 19 games in [1993](/source/1993_NSWRL_season) (and being featured in the NSWRL's television advertisement featuring [Tina Turner](/source/Tina_Turner) and [Jimmy Barnes](/source/Jimmy_Barnes) singing Turner's hit song ''"[Simply the Best](/source/The_Best_(song))"'' with the line "I think rugby league has changed enormously in the past few years"),{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VTHNc7MrE8|title=1993 Winfield Cup promotion|publisher=youtube.com|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}} both Rodwell and the Knights had disappointing seasons finishing in 9th place. Rodwell did not play first grade at all in [1994](/source/1994_NSWRL_season), and signed with new team, the [Perth](/source/Perth) based Western Reds for [1995](/source/1995_ARL_season). Signing a contract (like most of his Reds teammates) with the rebel [Super League](/source/Super_League_(Australia)) in early 1995, Rodwell stayed with the team until the end of the [1997 Super League season](/source/1997_Super_League_(Australia)_season).Alan Whiticker/Glen Hudson: Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, 1995. {{ISBN|1875169571}} With Super League and the [Australian Rugby League](/source/Australian_Rugby_League) (ARL) calling an end to the [Super League war](/source/Super_League_war) which had torn the game apart to form the [National Rugby League](/source/National_Rugby_League) (NRL) in [1998](/source/1998_NRL_season), and with the Reds left out of the new competition, Rodwell found himself back in Sydney at the famous St George club. The following year the Dragons merged with the [Illawarra Steelers](/source/Illawarra_Steelers) to become the St George Illawarra Dragons, and Rodwell found himself on the outer with team coach David Waite preferring young Steelers half [Trent Barrett](/source/Trent_Barrett) and he only appeared in 8 games in [1999](/source/1999_NRL_season), missing a place in the Dragons [1999 NRL Grand Final](/source/1999_NRL_Grand_Final) side where in front of a world record rugby league attendance of 107,999 the Dragons lost 20–18 to the [Melbourne Storm](/source/Melbourne_Storm). Rodwell was on the move again in [2000](/source/2000_NRL_season), this time to the [Penrith Panthers](/source/Penrith_Panthers) where he would play the final two years of his career in Australia. ===England=== Matthew Rodwell signed with the [Super League](/source/Super_League) club the [Warrington Wolves](/source/Warrington_Wolves) for 2002's [Super League VII](/source/Super_League_VII), and he retired from playing at the end of 2002, with the Warrington Wolves finishing in 10th place with just 7 wins and 21 losses. ==Post-playing== Rodwell was the Chief Executive of the [Rugby League Players Association](/source/Rugby_League_Players_Association) until April 2009, when he left the role to take up an Executive Manager role with the insurance company, GIO. Rodwell is now a General Manager at claims management company EML. Rodwell was named the ''[Cleo](/source/Cleo_(magazine))'' Bachelor of the Year in 1993. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.myfooty.com.au/aboutus.asp?page_id=66 Corporate Profiles]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100712194556/http://www.craig-hamilton.com/biography.html Craig Hamilton ABC Grandstand Rugby League] {{1995 Western Reds}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodwell, Matthew}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Australian rugby league players Category:Newcastle Knights players Category:Penrith Panthers players Category:Rugby league halfbacks Category:Rugby league players from New South Wales Category:St. George Dragons players Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen Category:St. George Illawarra Dragons players Category:Warrington Wolves players Category:Western Reds players --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matthew Rodwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Rodwell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Rodwell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.