NRL
Ryan Matterson has announced his medical retirement from rugby league at the age of 31.
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The news comes following ongoing battles with concussions, including a serious head knock during pre-season training with the Eels that has seen him play no part in the 2026 season.
“Today, I’m announcing my medical retirement from rugby league,” Matterson posted on Instagram.
“For many years, I’ve battled the effects of concussion and the symptoms that have come with it. I’ve tried to push through, manage it and keep doing what I love.”
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“Over time, the symptoms have become harder to live with and unfortunately, they’ve continued to get worse,” he continued.
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“Eventually, you have to make the hardest decision of your life and walk away from the thing you love, in order to protect the life you have ahead of you.”
Captain of the Parramatta National Youth Cup team in 2014, Matterson made his NRL debut with the Sydney Roosters in 2016 and went on to play 181 NRL games for the Roosters, Tigers and Eels.
He also played eight matches in Super League after a short loan spell with Warrington in 2025 and made one appearance for NSW in the 2022 State of Origin series.
A mainstay in the Eels pack for five seasons under Brad Arthur, Matterson’s position at the Eels became clouded with the arrival of new head coach Jason Ryles in 2025, with the forward featuring just five times before departing for Warrington.
Earlier this season Matterson was also in the news when he became an unwitting pawn in the Storm’s failed attempt to land former Eels winger Zac Lomax.
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