Former USA captain visited by Gold Coast Committee following surgery

Former winger Matt Petersen is on the mend following a double hip replacement.

Renowned for his striking resemblance to Sideshow Bob, a character off The Simpsons, Petersen chalked up 94 games in the National Rugby League at the North Queensland Cowboys, Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans, before finishing his professional career with the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the UK Super League. 

Born just a stone’s throw away from the home ground of the AFL’s West Coast Eagles in the inner city suburb of Subiaco, Petersen’s journey to the leading rugby league competition in the world came through the Cowboys Western Australian feeder club, the Belmont Steelers.

During the 2002 season, the streaky winger was called in to the Cowboys team where he played eight games and nabbed two tries, before heading south to Sydney to don the blue and gold of the Parramatta Eels. It would be here that Petersen would make his mark in the competition.

Petersen equalled the club try-scoring record for one match during the 2003 round 12 clash against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, scoring four tries in the one game. He was the first Eel to have done so since 1988.

Following four years and 65 fixtures for the Eels, Petersen headed back to the Sunshine State in 2007 with the newly formed Gold Coast Titans, where he would finish as equal highest try scorer in their inaugural season.

Halfway through the 2008 season, Petersen was granted an immediate release to head to the UK following just 21 games with the Titans, where he would represent Trinity Wakefield on 16 occasions.

As a result of a parent being born in the United States, Petersen was legally allowed to don the red, white and blue for the U.S, which he did so for the first time in 2004. At the 2013 Rugby League World Cup held in England & Wales, Petersen was handed the captaincy of the Hawks and led them to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

Since retiring, ‘Sideshow Bob’ has returned with his family to the Gold Coast, where he owns and operates a successful tyre shop.

The Gold Coast Commitee wish Matt the best with his recovery and looked forward to seeing him again soon.

Queensland Wellbeing is proudly sponsored by BMD Group.