Matthew Jeremy Bowen was born on 9 March 1982 and is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s.
43 Facts About Matt Bowen
2.
Matt Bowen attended St Teresa's College, Abergowrie near Ingham where he started playing rugby league at the age of 12.
3.
Matt Bowen played on the wing in Round 1, in a game where Brasher would succumb to injury, vacating the fullback spot.
4.
In Round 2, Matt Bowen played five-eighth in the Cowboys' loss to the Broncos before taking over the fullback position permanently a week later.
5.
Matt Bowen enjoyed a breakout season in 2002, scoring 12 tries in 24 games, including a run of five games in which he scored a try.
6.
In 2003, Matt Bowen made his representative debut, being called up to the Queensland team for Game II of the State of Origin series.
7.
Matt Bowen played 16 minutes as a substitute, as Queensland lost the series.
8.
The Cowboys made the finals series for the first time in 2004, with Matt Bowen playing a key role in the side which finished one match short of their first Grand Final.
9.
Matt Bowen represented Queensland in 2004, playing in all three games and scoring his first Origin try in the Maroons' Game III loss.
10.
Matt Bowen played at fullback in a tour match against Cumbria, scoring a try, although he did not play in the Tri-Nations series, with Anthony Minichiello preferred as the Kangaroos' fullback.
11.
Matt Bowen's 21 tries in 2005 made him the competition's top try scorer.
12.
Matt Bowen was again selected for Queensland in the 2005 State of Origin series.
13.
Matt Bowen was selected in Queensland's starting line-up in the third match for the first time in his career, displacing Billy Slater.
14.
Matt Bowen played Game I of the 2006 State of Origin series but was dropped from Queensland's side for Game II.
15.
Matt Bowen scored just five tries in 24 matches for the Cowboys, one of the lowest season tallies of his career.
16.
Matt Bowen regained his top try scorer's title, with 22 tries, and made the most line breaks and tackle breaks in the NRL.
17.
Matt Bowen returned to the Queensland squad for Game III of the State of Origin series, and the Cowboys returned to the NRL finals, finishing third on the ladder.
18.
Matt Bowen was voted by his peers as the Rugby League Player Association's Player of the Year, was named the Cowboys' Player of the Year for the first and only time in his career, was named Rugby League Week Player of the Year and was named Fullback of the Year at the 2007 Dally M Awards.
19.
Matt Bowen signed a new contract to remain at the Cowboys through the 2011 season, with his coach Graham Murray claiming he was the "best fullback in the game".
20.
Kangaroos' coach Ricky Stuart argued that Matt Bowen's small stature was a factor against his selection.
21.
Matt Bowen started the 2008 NRL season slowly, missing Rounds 4 and 5 due to a left knee injury.
22.
Matt Bowen returned in Round 6 against the Warriors and scored three tries.
23.
However, three weeks later, Matt Bowen injured his knee again and underwent surgery that ruled him out of action for the rest of the season.
24.
Matt Bowen returned from his knee injury in the 2009 pre-season.
25.
Matt Bowen missed half the season due to the knee reconstruction he had in 2009, making his NRL return in the Cowboys' Round 9 win over the Sydney Roosters.
26.
Four months later, Matt Bowen played his 200th match for the Cowboys, in their Round 26 loss to the Roosters.
27.
Matt Bowen ended the 2010 season with a career low of two tries.
28.
Matt Bowen reached another milestone early in the season, surpassing former teammate Paul Bowman's record for the most NRL games by a Cowboys player.
29.
Matt Bowen had considered competing offers to play in England.
30.
Matt Bowen recorded 28 try assists in 2012, more than the team's halfback Johnathan Thurston, and was 18th man for Queensland in Game III of the 2012 State of Origin series.
31.
Matt Bowen finished 2012 with 13 tries, his most in a season since 2007.
32.
In Round 26, Matt Bowen played his final home game at 1300SMILES Stadium.
33.
Matt Bowen played his final NRL game a week later in the Cowboys' elimination final loss to the Cronulla Sharks at Allianz Stadium.
34.
On 16 July, Matt Bowen re-signed with Wigan until the end of 2015.
35.
Wigan reached the 2014 Super League Grand Final and Matt Bowen played at fullback in their loss to St Helens at Old Trafford.
36.
Matt Bowen began the 2015 Super League season as Wigan's first choice fullback.
37.
Matt Bowen took over Wigan's goalkicking duties towards the end of the season, kicking 31 goals and scoring 9 tries in his final season.
38.
Matt Bowen participated in the 2016 NRL Auckland Nines Tournament, returning for the North Queensland Cowboys as a final farewell to the club and his playing career.
39.
On 21 January, Matt Bowen was selected as one of the NRL's Community Ambassadors for 2016.
40.
On 29 January, the Cowboys announced that Matt Bowen would coming out of retirement to make a one-off return for the club at the 2016 NRL Auckland Nines.
41.
Matt Bowen was born in Cairns to Richard and Lillian Matt Bowen and has four brothers and a sister.
42.
Matt Bowen is married to Rudie Doyle, sister of former teammate John Doyle.
43.
The couple have two daughters, Diaz and Tatum, who was born the night before Bowen played in the 2015 Super League Grand Final, and one son, Matthew Jr.