New Zealand and Samoa rugby league winger Matt Utai shot in ‘brazen ambush’ in Sydney | EUROtoday

A “brazen ambush” exterior a Sydney dwelling on Tuesday has left former New Zealand and Samoa rugby league winger Matt Utai in a severe situation in hospital after he was shot a number of occasions.

The 44-year-old, who famously received a National Rugby League championship in 2004, underwent emergency surgical procedure for gun-shot wounds to his decrease leg and higher chest-shoulder space.

“We strongly believe that this is a targeted attack,” New South Wales Police Superintendent Rodney Hart informed reporters.

“We believe that it was two males, a gun-man and a driver of a white, possibly SUV (sports utility vehicle).

“We are involved about this brazen assault.”

Utai’s former Canterbury teammate Mark O’Meley said Utai was “respiratory OK” while being treated in hospital.

“Everyone has been on the group chat all morning, we simply hope he is OK,” he said in comments published by The Australian newspaper.

The incident happened about 6 a.m. local time (1900 GMT) on Tuesday in the western suburb of Greenacres.

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An SUV matching the description of the one involved in the shooting was found on fire at a nearby suburb a short time later.

Police were treating the incidents as linked and established crime scenes at both locations.

Hart said there was no ongoing threat to the community but called for help from the public to provide information and supply video of the incident.

Hart said Utai was not suspected of being involved in organised crime.

“He has a small quantity of site visitors historical past, however at the very least we do imagine that he might not be concerned in any [criminal] exercise,” Hart said.

Utai’s son Iziah was convicted of drug and gun possession charges in 2023 and handed an 18-month jail sentence, with police alleging he had links to a local organised crime network.

Auckland-born Utai was capped four times for New Zealand from 2002-05 and three times for Samoa in 2008.

He scored 85 tries in a 167-game NRL career at Sydney-based teams Canterbury and Wests Tigers.

Canterbury said in a statement they were deeply shocked and saddened by the attack.

“Our ideas are with Matt and his household throughout this extraordinarily troublesome time. We are hoping and praying for his full restoration,” it stated.