Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 47F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..
Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 47F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Updated: February 16, 2026 @ 10:19 pm
SYDNEY (AP) — Ex-New Zealand international and National Rugby League premiership winner Matt Utai has undergone surgery after being shot during an alleged drive-by attack outside his home in southwestern Sydney, Australian media reported Tuesday.
Utai, a star of the Canterbury Bulldogs' NRL grand final victory in 2004, remains in a hospital and New South Wales state police are investigating, Australian Associated Press reported.
“It’s a brazen ambush,” police superintendent Rodney Hart said. “We strongly believe that this is a targeted attack.
"Whether the victim was the intended target or it was somebody that he knows or associates with or is related to, will all form part of the investigation.”
Hart acknowledged media reporting of the incident but didn't identify Utai by name, saying that a 44-year-old victim had been shot in the lower leg and in the upper shoulder, chest area and was stabilized on the scene by paramedics.
A vehicle suspected of being used in the attack was set ablaze in a nearby suburb.
Utai played international rugby league for New Zealand and Samoa, and played 167 games in Australia's top-flight NRL between 2002 and 2013, initially for the Bulldogs and then for Wests Tigers.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Sat, 2/28, 1-4 pm Congregational Church, San Mateo and Sun, 3/1, 10am-noon, First Presbyteri… Read moreHEAR NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION—AND DEMOCRACY—ADVOCATE REV. JIM ANTAL IN SAN MATEO AND PALO ALTO
“Powerful, moving, and exhilarating” Read moreSongs For A New World
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
Dirk van Ulden said:
Yosemite Says said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.