Richard Mathers

Richie Mathers

Personal information
Born	(1983-10-24) October 24, 1983 Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	96 kg (15 st 2 lb)
Playing information
Position	Fullback
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2001–06	Leeds Rhinos	88	26	0	0	104
2007	Gold Coast Titans	6	0	0	0	0
2008–09	Wigan Warriors	24	2	0	0	8
2009–10	Warrington Wolves	47	13	0	0	52
2011–	Castleford Tigers	0	0	0	0	0
2012	Wakefield Trinity Wildcats		0	0	0	0
	Total	165	41	0	0	164
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2005	England	2	0	1	0	2
As of 17 April 2009
Source: RLP

Richard 'Richie' Mathers (born 24 October 1983 in Leeds) is an English rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, on loan from the Castleford Tigers, of Europe's Super League competition. An England international representative fullback, he started his professional career at the Leeds Rhinos club with whom he won the 2004 Championship.

Biographical Details

• Height: 182 cm (6"0)
• Weight: 96 kg
• First Grade Games: 95
• First Senior Football Club: Leeds Rhinos
• First Grade Clubs: Leeds Rhinos, Gold Coast Titans, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves
• Tries: 31
• Goals: 0
• Field Goals: 1
• Points: 126

Early days

Richard first started off his rugby league career at amateur rugby league club the Milford Marlins. Richard is one of numerous players who has risen through the ranks at Leeds. A star of the Academy, with whom he played in two consecutive Grand Final wins with, he broke into the first team at the end of 2002 after a loan spell with Warrington Wolves. After making seven appearances with Wolves Richard rejoined the Rhinos, scoring a try in just his second appearance. The following season Richard became a first team regular and his form in 2004 was such that the Rhinos allowed former Wigan star Gary Connolly to depart. He ended that year with many predicting that the Fullback would be a star for Leeds for many years to come and not only was he named the Evening Post Shooting Star winner after only missing four games all season he was also part of the Leeds Grand Final-winning squad. By 2005 Richard was promoted to the number one shirt and was one of the first names on the team sheet, only missing one game all season. One of the highlights of the years was when he helped the team to victory in the Centenary World Club Challenge when he scored a try against Canterbury Bulldogs at his beloved Elland Road. However, in the middle of the 2006 season, Richard injured his knee against Hull FC at Headingley, which not only ended his season but Leeds career. In 2007, he made his debut for the new NRL team Gold Coast Titans.

Gold Coast Titans

Richard did not play for the Titans for much of the start of the season, but an injury to regular full-back Preston Campbell allowed Richard to make his debut for the Gold Coast Titans. Richard played five rounds and appeared to be gaining confidence and good form until he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee . This is injury is similar to the injury that occurred while he was playing for Leeds and will keep him out for the rest of the season. Mathers team-mates offered to pay for Richard to travel home before he begins the long road to recovery.

Wigan Warriors

On 6 November 2007 Gold Coast Titans released Richie Mathers from his contract and a few hours later Wigan Warriors announced that they had signed Richie on a three year contract. he only played five rounds for the Titans due to rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee which required a full knee reconstruction. Wigan had a full-back vacancy following the departure of Chris Ashton to the rugby union side Northampton and the retirement of Michael Withers, although Pat Richards did a sterling job for Wigan during the last two months of the 2007 season. Mathers made his debut in the 42-18 win over Widnes Vikings in a friendly scoring two tries. Mathers scored a try in a 47-28 win at Harlequins on his Super League debut for Wigan but was sent off for the first time in his career in Round 5 against Warrington for a high tackle on Matt King, for which he received a three-match ban. He filled in at stand-off on his return to the side against Wakefield in Round 9 before reverting to his usual position of full-back. However, Mathers was red-carded again in Round 25 for leading with an elbow as he attempted to fend off Wakefield's Jason Demetriou, although Wigan still won 32-22 to secure a play-off place. Mathers was the only player to be sent off twice during 2008's Super League XIII.

Richard Mathers was married to Sasha Darnbrough on 2 January 2009 at Rudding Park.

Mathers was sin-binned during Wigan's opening game of 2009's Super League XIV for a trip on Wakefield winger Dave Halley. He was cited by the Rugby Football League and received a two-match suspension, ruling him out of games against Hull FC and Castleford.

Warrington Wolves

Warrington Wolves signed Mathers on 6 April 2009, with Martin Gleeson going the other way to Wigan, plus a six figure transfer fee to Warrington. Mathers had to wait more than a month for his debut, when he scored twice against Featherstone Rovers in a Challenge Cup tie on 10 May 2009 and scored the first try in the Challenge Cup final for the Warrington Wolves!

Mathers played for Warrington in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Leeds Rhinos.

Castleford Tigers

Richie joined Castleford Tigers for the 2011 season after he signed a three year deal with the Yorkshire club. He made 22 Super League appearances for the team before being loaned out to the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats for the 2012 season.

External links

• Warrington Wolves profile
• NRL profile
• Leeds Rhinos Profile
• Richard Mathers Wigan Career Page on the Wigan RL Fansite.