Newcastle Knights: bond drives Mata'utia brothers to new heights

Between them they have four boys aged two and under. Peter also has a five-year-old son and three-week-old daughter.

“We all have our own kids now except Sione,” Peter said. “We are waiting for him to pop one out,” he laughed.

Family has always been close at heart to the Mata’utias. It was the reason Pat, Chanel and Sione turned their backs on lucrative deals at Canterbury last year to to re-sign with the Knights.

And it was a driving force in Peter’s decision to leave the Dragons in April and reunite the family. The four of them long for the day when they are on the field together for the Knights in the NRL.

“I can’t wait,” Peter enthused. “It is a dream of my mother’s. She has done so much for us and I can’t wait for that time to arrive. There is hard work that needs to be done for that to happen as well.”

They have gone close. Pat, who made his NRL debut in the season opener, Peter and Sione have played alongside each other in three games.

“There was one time when Jake Mamo got injured Chanel was meant to come in and play on the wing but his knee wasn’t ready,” Peter lamented.

Matalena Mata'utia raised the boys, Sione's twin sister Sylvia, and older girls Josephine and Jana, mostly on her own.

“Mum did her best to give us everything we wanted,” Peter said. “Having my brothers was the best thing. Everything we did was competitive.”

Peter, at 26, is the family patriarch. 

“Every time I see them on the field, I feel, as an older brother, I need to step up,” he said. “I know for my young brothers, me being there, they feel a lot more confident as well. We draw energy off each other. We are very positive guys and use that as a strength.”

Peter, who with 51 NRL games is the most experienced, admitted it was tough being in Wollongong for the two and a half seasons.

But he has not doubts it helped him mature as a player and person.

“I have watched them closely, especially Sione because we are so alike, attitude-wise,” he said. “Seeing Sione go through that second year with his injuries and with all the hype that was given too him, knowing that he wasn’t coping with it very well. Everyone forgot he was only 18. My brothers are always open to me. When I first signed [back at the Knights] they were over the moon. I wanted to tell Pat first because I knew I was coming as a left centre and he was playing there at the time. He was more than happy for me to come back.”

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Peter played 35 games for the Dragons, but felt he was best served returning to the Knights after being shifted from his favoured left centre role to accommodate the arrival of Tim Lafai.

“I learned a lot under Mary (coach Paul McGregor),” he said. “He taught me me to be competitive – no matter whom I am playing to believe I am better than them. He also helped me with my consistency. I was also lucky enough to have Matt Cooper as a defensive coach as well. Two good Australian centres and I’m very thankful for the work I was able to do under them.”

Since returning to the Red and Blue, Peter has cemented a spot on the left edge and provided some steel to what had been a porous defensive set up.

“My form has been OK,” he said. “I do get frustrated because I am a senior player and need to be among the top three players every week to help this young team. I understood where and what i was coming to. I want to be a part of this change for the next four to five years.”

Peter and fiance, Casey, are house hunting and the recent berth of daughter Lyric has given him a new view on life.

“I am definitely more mature,” he said. “I have made a lot of mistake that my brothers can learn from. Sione has done very well to get to where he is now and so have my other two brothers. Before I left St George I got in a bit of trouble off the field. I have learnt that footy gives you opportunities. It is not just about the money we get. It gives you opportunities to give back to the community. That is something that drives me and my brothers.”