Terry Matterson is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player. He has been the coach for the
Castleford TigersCastleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
of Europe's
Super LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
since 2005.
As a player Matterson was a goal-kicking lock forward and was selected to represent New South Wales in
State of OriginState of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
once in 1989. He played the majority of his club football for the
Brisbane BroncosThe Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
, with whom he won the 1992 and 1993 premierships, in addition to stints with the
Eastern Suburbs RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
and London Broncos clubs.
Playing
After playing at five-eighth for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, Matterson moved to Brisbane to be part of the Broncos' inaugrual 1988 team. Playing at lock and being the team's goal-kicker, Matterson scored 24 points in the Broncos' first ever match in the opening round of
1988The 1988 Brisbane Broncos season was the first in the club's history. The new venture team, competed in the New South Wales Rugby League's 1988 Winfield Cup premiership and, despite a strong start to the season, failed to make the finals...
against the previous year's premiers, the
Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesThe Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
. This would stand as the record for most individual points in a Broncos game for over fourteen years.
In 1989 Matterson represented New South Wales in the
State of OriginState of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
, playing against many of his Broncos' teammates. He was also named player of the series for the 1989 Panasonic Cup tournament.
Matterson went on to play in the Broncos' inaugural grand final victory in
1992The 1992 Brisbane Broncos season was the fifth in the club's history and they competed in the NSWRL's 1992 Winfield Cup premiership. Under new captain Allan Langer they finished the regular season 1st to claim their first minor premiership before going on to play in their first grand final and win,...
. In the weeks following the grand final he travelled with the Broncos to England, where he played at lock forward in the
1992 World Club ChallengeThe 1992 World Club Challenge match was contested by the 1991–92 Rugby Football League season champions Wigan and the 1992 NSWRL season's premiers, the Brisbane Broncos...
against British champions
WiganWigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
, putting in a man-of-the-match performance to help Brisbane become the first NSWRL club to win the match in Britain. Matterson helped Brisbane to their second consecutive premiership in
1993The 1993 Brisbane Broncos season was the sixth in the club's history. They competed in the NSWRL's 1993 Winfield Cup premiership, finishing the regular season 5th before going on to play in a re-match of the previous year's grand final against the St George Dragons and again win, claiming...
.
Matterson joined the London Broncos in 1995. At the time he was the Brisbane club's top point-scorer, as well as record-holder of most points scored in a single match.
During the 2007 season at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Matterson.
Coaching
Terry Matterson has been coaching English
Super LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
club
Castleford TigersCastleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
since 2005.
Matterson expressed interest in taking over from Wayne Bennett as coach of the
Brisbane BroncosThe Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
at the end of the 2008 National Rugby League season.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23185635-23214,00.html
Matterson stayed with Castleford after they were relegated in 2006. He guided the team straight back up to regain its place in
Super LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
Matterson has since signed a new 3 year deal to stay at Castleford.
Matterson guided Cas to 7th place in Super League 2009. The club's first play off finish since 2002. They faced Wigan at the DW Stadium and lost 18-12 with
Joe WestermanJoe Westerman, born in Pontefract, England, is a rugby league footballer for Hull in the Super League competition. Joe previously played for Castleford Tigers.-Castleford Tigers:...
scoring 8 points.
Pressure grew on Matterson during 2010 after the tigers lost to
Barrow RaidersBarrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
at home in the challenge cup. Several hundred supporters gathered at the back of the main stand and vented frustration at Matterson and the clubs board. Matterson and the team went on a rough patch but turned it around and only just missed out on a second play off appearance in two years by losing out to St. Helens in the final league game of the season.
Matterson will be hoping to improve Castleford further in 2011 which will be his last season with the club.
In 2011, Matterson was named as the assistant coach of the Exiles, a team made up of Australian and New Zealand players contracted to
Super LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
clubs. The Exiles played against the
England national rugby league teamThe England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
in June 2011 in the
Rugby League International Origin MatchThe Rugby League International Origin Match is an annual rugby league fixture between the English national side and an Exiles side consisting of foreign players currently playing in the English Super League competition. The match was held for the first time at Headingley Carnegie Stadium in Leeds...
, a fixture that is intended to become an annual contest in the future. Matterson will be assisting the Head coach of the RL Exiles,
Brian McClennanBrian "Bluey" McClennan is the head coach for the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League . He was previously the head coach of the New Zealand national team and then England's Leeds Rhinos club...
.
Matterson announced on 4 July 2011 that it will be his last season at Castleford and he will leave the club at the end of that year. This will have taken him to 6 years at the Castleford club. Matterson will go back home to Australia to become assistant coach of the North Queensland Cowboys for 2012.
Personal
In January 2010, Matterson lost his left ring finger in a training accident where his wedding ring snagged on a fence. Surgery to re-attach the finger was unsuccessful, however Matterson seemed unaffected by the trauma, continuing to coach Castleford the next week.
His older brother Greg Matterson is the head coach of New South Wales Cup side
Newtown JetsThe Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
.
External links