Ex-Kiwis NRL star shot in Sydney drive-by as gang feuds shadow city

A former New Zealand rugby league hero is undergoing surgery after being gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Sydney’s west.

The latest flashpoint follows a wave of violence unsettling communities across Australia's biggest city.

Police say Matt Utai, 44, was shot outside a home in Greenacre about 6am (local time) on Tuesday, after emergency services were called to reports of a public place shooting.

Police said he was targeted by the occupants of an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), who fled the scene.

The vehicle was later found burnt out on Samuel Street in Wiley Park, and detectives believe it is linked to the attack.

Utai sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his leg and shoulder and was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital in a serious condition to undergo surgery, according to police.

Police and forensic officers examine a Greenacre street in Sydney’s west after Matt Utai was shot outside a home in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Detectives believe a burnt-out SUV found in nearby Wiley Park is linked to the attack. Photo/Screenshot/7News

“I heard like five gunshots,” neighbour Habebeh told the ABC. “So we walked down and I see the guy on the floor. I woke up from the noise and the guy screaming.”

For many Pacific National Rugby League (NRL) fans, Utai is more than a former winger. He is part of a generation of Pasifika players who left a deep mark on the competition.

The powerhouse finisher won a premiership with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2004 and played for the Wests Tigers.

A burnt-out SUV discovered on Samuel Street in Wiley Park shortly after the shooting. Investigators from the NSW Police Raptor Squad are probing whether the vehicle was used in the drive-by attack. Photo/Australia Police

In a statement, the Bulldogs said the club was “saddened” to learn of the shooting. “The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the incident involving former player Matt Utai this morning.

“Matt is a beloved part of the Bulldogs family. He played 127 first-grade games for the Club and was instrumental in the 2004 Premiership.

“Our thoughts are with Matt and his family during this extremely difficult time. We are hoping and praying for his full recovery.”

Belmore Park, home of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. The club says they are “deeply shocked and saddened” by the shooting of former premiership winner Matt Utai, adding: “Our thoughts are with Matt and his family during this extremely difficult time.” Photo/Bulldogs

Son linked to Sydney crime feud

While police have stressed Utai himself is not believed to be involved in organised crime, investigators are examining possible links to Sydney’s ongoing gang tensions.

Bankstown Police Area Commander Rodney Hart told reporters Utai was not implicated in criminal activity. “He has a small amount of traffic history, but at least we do believe that he may not be involved in any [criminal] activity."

The ABC understands Utai’s son, Iziah Utai, is an associate of the Alameddine crime family, which has been at the centre of a violent internal feud over the past year.

Iziah Utai’s alleged links to organised crime are being probed after his father, former NRL player Matt Utai, was shot on Tuesday. Photo/Facebook

Iziah was previously charged by the NSW Police Raptor Squad, the same unit now investigating Tuesday’s shooting, with weapon and drug offences in 2023.

At the time, it was alleged Iziah was found in possession of a pump-action shotgun and a small amount of cocaine inside a Toongabbie home. He was sentenced to jail time.

He was also reportedly targeted in two organised crime-style attacks in 2025. His Merrylands barber shop was firebombed on consecutive days in May last year, and in December, shots were fired into a Guildford West home believed to be linked to him. Two women and a child inside were not physically injured.

Detectives have not confirmed a motive for Tuesday’s shooting, and no arrests have been announced.

For Pacific communities in western Sydney, where rugby league is woven into family and church life, the attack has sent shockwaves.

As police continue their investigation, many will be hoping the former winger, once known for charging fearlessly into defensive lines, can now pull through the fight of his life.