Matthew Wright, a former NRL outside back, has decided to return to Australia and sign with a new club for the 2024 season.
The 33-year-old has joined the Townsville Blackhawks in the QLD Cup competition. He featured in their Round 1 20-16 victory against the Ipswich Jets and even managed to cross the line for a try.
His return comes after he spent the previous five seasons overseas with the Newcastle Thunder from 2019 to 2023.
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Wright would grow up and later be selected to represent the Australian Schoolboys in 2008. He would then go on to spend his junior years with the Penrith Panthers before agreeing to a three-year contract with the Cronulla Sharks.
At the Sharks, Wright would go on to play 62 games and score 60 points (12 tries and six goals) before later moving to the North Queensland Cowboys (2014-15) and then finishing his NRL career with the Manly Sea Eagles (2016-18).
The five-time Samoan international would finish his NRL career with 143 games to his name and 186 points - 42 tries and 49 conversions on goals.
Wright's arrival at the Blackhawks sees him join former NRL players James Tamou, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Gehamat Shibaski, Jaelen Feeney, Jayden Hodges, Patrick Kaufusi and Kyle Laybutt at the club.
The team, which is heavily affiliated with the North Queensland Cowboys, is coached by 139-game veteran playmaker Terry Campese and former Canberra Raiders and Penrith Panthers winger Adrian Purtell is amongst the coaching staff as an assistant coach.
