Veteran shines in Rabbitohs win against Dragons after 1421-day NRL absence
A trip to the emergency room, an NRL comeback and a win over the club he made his debut almost a decade ago: Saturday was a big deal for Matt Dufty.
When the 30-year-old stepped into Accor Stadium on Saturday night, it had been 1,421 days since he last played in the NRL after four years in the English Super League. But it was as if he had never left.
Dufty ran for 333 meters, scoring a try in the Rabbitohs’ 30-12 victory over the Dragons. This was the most meters he has gained in an NRL match.
“I was a little nervous this morning but it wasn’t [due to] “Playing with the Dragons was more like being back in the NRL,” Dufty said after the game.
“I think I had a lot to work on when I went to England and I think football gets easier as I get older. I came back a little more mature, there’s no need to force every pass. We have so many kicks that you understand where you fit into the team and your role.”
Dufty has been given a one-year contract with South Sydney’s NSW Cup team for 2026. But when Jye Gray suffered a shoulder injury against the Raiders a week ago, Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett offered Dufty a first Rabbitohs game.
Dufty didn’t think he would ever play in the NRL again when he packed his bags and headed to England in 2022.
“I guess you know once you get there it’s hard to go back, even if you kill it because the game speeds up… [and then] “You look at some of the full-backs coming in, they’re all exciting,” Dufty said.
“Sometimes you need an old head. I’ve been lucky enough, even Jye Grey, he’s young, fast and exciting. He’s doing everything, he’s brave, so you know I just wanted to come in and strengthen the team because if Jye goes down like he did then I can step up and do my job.”
The days before Dufty’s return to the NRL were anything but relaxing, and hours before the match Dufty and his wife were in hospital with health concerns for their baby girl, who was born a few days earlier.
“We were in an emergency this morning and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, but everything was fine,'” Dufty said.
“It was okay, you know how newborns are, get everything checked. Thank God, everything is fine.”
All is well for Dufty and the Rabbitohs in the seventh week of the season.
Billie Eder is a sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
