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No half measures for this Rooster as Ryan Matterson transforms himself into a forward
Nick Walshaw, The Daily Telegraph
March 23, 2017 6:19am
Subscriber only
RYAN Matterson played halfback for the Junior Kangaroos.Two years ago.
The first part of an unlikely question which leaves even Dave Middleton stumped.
“Who else has switched from halfback to an NRL pack?’’ league’s favourite historian asks. “Ah, I can’t think of anybody.
“No one.
“It’s why this transformation, it really is unusual.”
And essential.
For while still only 22, Matterson knows he must now make it as a Roosters forward or not at all.
Ryan Matterson of the Sydney Roosters at training. Picture: Gregg Porteous Which is some twist.
Especially for a kid once considered the Next Big Thing at Parramatta. A playmaker who, while predominantly a five-eighth, still went and earned his Australian No. 7 ahead of halves like Cameron Munster, Jackson Hastings, Jack Bird, even Clint Gutherson.
Before last year, this Greenacre product had never played in the forwards.
Not once.
And while others may have considered his switch inevitable, Matterson still thought of himself existing, as recently as last June, somewhere between utility and undergraduate playmaker biding his time.
“But then,’’ he says, “the club signed Luke Keary”.
And so come October, Matterson went knocking on the office door of coach Trent Robinson.
Those in the know have high opinions of Matterson. “And I told Robbo I was going to become a forward,” he recalls.
Not a utility. Nor a NSW Cup playmaker who would vow to fight back
“No, I don’t want to play reserves,’’ he continues. “So I said I was going to get bigger. Get a different mentality and become more physical.”
And to prove it, Matterson immediately started eating five meals a day.
Lifted heavier, too.
Over this past summer, adding nine kilos via the type of weights program that, says Roosters lock Aidan Guerra, “is obvious with one look at his physique”.
Indeed, stare even briefly at Matterson and you have to wonder how we squeezed him onto the League Central cover.
Ryan Matterson playing for St Pauls's Catholic College in 2012. Picture: Christian Wright Height: 193cm.
Weight: 107cm.
Throw in too the greatest guns outside Al Pacino and Scarface.
And still, none of it has come easy.
For yes, he has wonderful bloodlines.
Son of 1986 Rooster, Paul Matterson. Nephew of Brisbane premiership hero, Terry.
Hell, you can even trace his mob right back to the 1930s, when a group of relatives were creating the ‘Matterson Dynasty’ at Western Suburbs.
But still, there’s more.
Just ask Justin Holbrook, the Roosters assistant who back two years urged Robinson to grab this 2014 Junior Kangaroo who, despite having signed on for another three winters at Parramatta, was suddenly being offered around as part of the salary cap squeeze.
LEAGUE CENTRAL PODCAST: Buzz Rothfield, Dave Riccio and Fiona Bollen talk Wests Tigers and the performance of referees
Subscribe to League Central podcasts in iTunes and don’t miss any NRL news.
A year earlier, Holbrook had himself coached the Eels U/20s. Made Matterson his captain, too.
“Because he has that want,’’ says the former first grade halfback with Newcastle, Penrith and the Roosters. “Each week when we’d sit down for video, Ryan would’ve already reviewed the tape several times and analysed his game.
“Few kids did that.”
Nor did they share his devotion to diet, eating clean or lifting heavy.
“At 18, Ryan was tall but still really skinny,’’ Holbrook continues. “So for two years, he worked incredibly hard in the gym ... and by 20, was dominating with strength one of his greatest assets.”
Yet now, he is upping the stakes again.
“Eating, weights, sleep. That’s been my pre-season,’’ Matterson laughs when quizzed on his NRL overhaul.
Sydney Rooster Ryan Matterson underwent a remarkable transformation. Picture: Gregg Porteous “But dad, he’s always had a saying: ‘If you play football, you’re a footballer’.
“You’ll hear some guys talk about how they have preferred positions — only like to play left centre or whatever. But if you’re playing, you should be able to play anywhere.”
And now, he is.
“So one of the world’s biggest halfbacks,’’ laughs Guerra, “is now one of the world’s biggest interchange forwards”.
Which as we said at the top, is some switch.
Matterson suddenly catapulted to the top of a list which includes the likes of Melbourne hooker Cam Smith, who played his first two NRL games at halfback. Or Mick Vella, the Eels winger who became a Kangaroo prop.
And how outstanding that story of Cronulla premiership star Luke Lewis boasting two Grand Final rings — not to mention NSW Origin jerseys, Australian Test selection and almost 300 NRL games — as both winger and backrower.
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And still it has competition.
Like Sione Mata’utia, Australia’s youngest Kangaroo who, in only two years, has gone from debutant Test winger to Newcastle backrower.
Or Wests Tigers Chris Lawrence last year captaining the City Origin in jumper No. 11, six years after debuting as a Test centre.
Ruben Wiki, incredibly, was once a winger. Panthers hooker Pete Wallace, a NSW Origin seven.
And who could ever forget the eighth Immortal packing down in that Origin scrum?
Still, nobody ever asked Joey to play backrow.
Just as that request would seem equally foolish of other Junior Kangaroo graduates including Corey Norman, Nathan Cleary, Ash Taylor, Chad Townsend, even Moses Mbye.
And yet Holbrook, he expects nothing but success from this player who “is all about want”. Same deal Guerra, who speaks of a convert whose first three rounds have “all been played with his gloves up”.
Boyd Cordner admires the workrate. Coach Robinson, his “contagious energy”.
While fullback Mick Gordon, well, he insists Matterson still boasts the skills set of an NRL seven.
“Although looking at the size of him now,’’ Gordon laughs, “he’s never getting anywhere near the halves again.”
Nick Walshaw, The Daily Telegraph
March 23, 2017 6:19am
Subscriber only
RYAN Matterson played halfback for the Junior Kangaroos.Two years ago.
The first part of an unlikely question which leaves even Dave Middleton stumped.
“Who else has switched from halfback to an NRL pack?’’ league’s favourite historian asks. “Ah, I can’t think of anybody.
“No one.
“It’s why this transformation, it really is unusual.”
And essential.
For while still only 22, Matterson knows he must now make it as a Roosters forward or not at all.
Ryan Matterson of the Sydney Roosters at training. Picture: Gregg Porteous Which is some twist.
Especially for a kid once considered the Next Big Thing at Parramatta. A playmaker who, while predominantly a five-eighth, still went and earned his Australian No. 7 ahead of halves like Cameron Munster, Jackson Hastings, Jack Bird, even Clint Gutherson.
Before last year, this Greenacre product had never played in the forwards.
Not once.
And while others may have considered his switch inevitable, Matterson still thought of himself existing, as recently as last June, somewhere between utility and undergraduate playmaker biding his time.
“But then,’’ he says, “the club signed Luke Keary”.
And so come October, Matterson went knocking on the office door of coach Trent Robinson.
Those in the know have high opinions of Matterson. “And I told Robbo I was going to become a forward,” he recalls.
Not a utility. Nor a NSW Cup playmaker who would vow to fight back
“No, I don’t want to play reserves,’’ he continues. “So I said I was going to get bigger. Get a different mentality and become more physical.”
And to prove it, Matterson immediately started eating five meals a day.
Lifted heavier, too.
Over this past summer, adding nine kilos via the type of weights program that, says Roosters lock Aidan Guerra, “is obvious with one look at his physique”.
Indeed, stare even briefly at Matterson and you have to wonder how we squeezed him onto the League Central cover.
Ryan Matterson playing for St Pauls's Catholic College in 2012. Picture: Christian Wright Height: 193cm.
Weight: 107cm.
Throw in too the greatest guns outside Al Pacino and Scarface.
And still, none of it has come easy.
For yes, he has wonderful bloodlines.
Son of 1986 Rooster, Paul Matterson. Nephew of Brisbane premiership hero, Terry.
Hell, you can even trace his mob right back to the 1930s, when a group of relatives were creating the ‘Matterson Dynasty’ at Western Suburbs.
But still, there’s more.
Just ask Justin Holbrook, the Roosters assistant who back two years urged Robinson to grab this 2014 Junior Kangaroo who, despite having signed on for another three winters at Parramatta, was suddenly being offered around as part of the salary cap squeeze.
LEAGUE CENTRAL PODCAST: Buzz Rothfield, Dave Riccio and Fiona Bollen talk Wests Tigers and the performance of referees
Subscribe to League Central podcasts in iTunes and don’t miss any NRL news.
A year earlier, Holbrook had himself coached the Eels U/20s. Made Matterson his captain, too.
“Because he has that want,’’ says the former first grade halfback with Newcastle, Penrith and the Roosters. “Each week when we’d sit down for video, Ryan would’ve already reviewed the tape several times and analysed his game.
“Few kids did that.”
Nor did they share his devotion to diet, eating clean or lifting heavy.
“At 18, Ryan was tall but still really skinny,’’ Holbrook continues. “So for two years, he worked incredibly hard in the gym ... and by 20, was dominating with strength one of his greatest assets.”
Yet now, he is upping the stakes again.
“Eating, weights, sleep. That’s been my pre-season,’’ Matterson laughs when quizzed on his NRL overhaul.
Sydney Rooster Ryan Matterson underwent a remarkable transformation. Picture: Gregg Porteous “But dad, he’s always had a saying: ‘If you play football, you’re a footballer’.
“You’ll hear some guys talk about how they have preferred positions — only like to play left centre or whatever. But if you’re playing, you should be able to play anywhere.”
And now, he is.
“So one of the world’s biggest halfbacks,’’ laughs Guerra, “is now one of the world’s biggest interchange forwards”.
Which as we said at the top, is some switch.
Matterson suddenly catapulted to the top of a list which includes the likes of Melbourne hooker Cam Smith, who played his first two NRL games at halfback. Or Mick Vella, the Eels winger who became a Kangaroo prop.
And how outstanding that story of Cronulla premiership star Luke Lewis boasting two Grand Final rings — not to mention NSW Origin jerseys, Australian Test selection and almost 300 NRL games — as both winger and backrower.
Play Video
Play
0:00
/
6:08
Fullscreen
And still it has competition.
Like Sione Mata’utia, Australia’s youngest Kangaroo who, in only two years, has gone from debutant Test winger to Newcastle backrower.
Or Wests Tigers Chris Lawrence last year captaining the City Origin in jumper No. 11, six years after debuting as a Test centre.
Ruben Wiki, incredibly, was once a winger. Panthers hooker Pete Wallace, a NSW Origin seven.
And who could ever forget the eighth Immortal packing down in that Origin scrum?
Still, nobody ever asked Joey to play backrow.
Just as that request would seem equally foolish of other Junior Kangaroo graduates including Corey Norman, Nathan Cleary, Ash Taylor, Chad Townsend, even Moses Mbye.
And yet Holbrook, he expects nothing but success from this player who “is all about want”. Same deal Guerra, who speaks of a convert whose first three rounds have “all been played with his gloves up”.
Boyd Cordner admires the workrate. Coach Robinson, his “contagious energy”.
While fullback Mick Gordon, well, he insists Matterson still boasts the skills set of an NRL seven.
“Although looking at the size of him now,’’ Gordon laughs, “he’s never getting anywhere near the halves again.”
Matterson is a good level headed kid with good skills who I hope becomes a legend for us.
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