Matt Hilder

Matt Hilder (born 30 April 1982) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Gold Coast and Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League. He primarily played at lock, hooker and five-eighth. Throughout his playing career he was known by two nicknames: Trouble,[3] and Waltzing (as in "Waltzing Matilda").[4][5]

Matt Hilder
Hilder playing for the Knights in 2014.
Personal information
Full nameMatthew Hilder[1]
Born (1982-04-30) 30 April 1982
Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight95 kg (14 st 13 lb)
PositionLock, Hooker, Five-eighth
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2003–06 Cronulla Sharks 81 19 29 0 134
2007 Gold Coast Titans 19 1 0 0 4
2008–13 Newcastle Knights 101 13 1 0 54
Total 201 33 30 0 192
Source: [2]

Background

Hilder was born in Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia. He played his junior football for the Cronulla-Caringbah before being signed by Cronulla-Sutherland.

Playing career

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

In round 1 of the 2003 NRL season, Hilder made his NRL debut for Cronulla-Sutherland against the Melbourne Storm scoring a try in a 32-36 loss. In his four years at Cronulla, Hilder played in one finals campaign which came in the 2005 NRL season. Cronulla were eliminated in the first week by rivals St George.[6]

Gold Coast Titans

After four seasons of first-grade with Cronulla, Hilder joined the Gold Coast Titans for their inaugural season, signing a 1-year contract starting in 2007. He was a regular in first-grade, but left the club at the end of the season.

Newcastle Knights
Hilder playing for the Knights in 2009.

In 2008, Hilder joined the Newcastle Knights.

In 2010, Hilder won the Knights' Player of the Year award for being one of the most hardworking and consistent players in the team.[7]

On 6 September 2013, Hilder re-signed with the Knights on a 1-year contract.[8]

A few days after re-signing, Hilder made a return to first-grade — after being seldom used by Knights coach Wayne Bennett since early 2012 — in time to play all three of the Knights' finals games and scoring a try in his 100th Knights game and 200th NRL game against the Melbourne Storm.[9] These were the final few first-grade games of his career.

At the end of 2013, Hilder won the Knights' New South Wales Cup Players' Player award.[10]

In September 2014, Hilder announced his retirement from rugby league, finishing up with 201 NRL appearances.[11]

Representative football

In July 2013, Hilder played for the New South Wales Residents against the Queensland Residents.[12]

Controversy

On 10 September 2006, Hilder threw a plastic chair at a man during an argument, causing head injuries. Hilder was fined $1,000.[13][14]

Personal life

Hilder has a wife, Natalie and three children: two daughters, Indy and Eden, and a son, Sunny.

References
  1. http://www.foxsportspulse.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=192264008&client=1-5952-76257-157265-15006715
  2. "Matt Hilder - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  3. http://www.theherald.com.au/story/457968/working-class-man-hilder-tops-hit-parade-to-spark-newcastle-revival/
  4. de Kroo, Karl, "Waltzing Matt Hilder's fresh start", heraldsun.com, 24 March 2007.
  5. FitzSimons, Peter. "The wisdom and wit of nicknames". FairfaxDigital.
  6. "Dragons survive Sharks scare". ABC.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/hilder-has-an-impact-in-milestone-match-20130922-2u83j.html
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2014/09/22/in_the_sheds_hilder_and_redman.html
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "NRL's Hilder fined $1,000 over assault" (fee required). The Age. 1 November 2006. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
  14. "NRL's Hilder fined $1,000 over assault". Sydney Morning Herald.
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