LEEDS RHINOS DEBUT: v Castleford 24.02.01

Matt Diskin has been a mainstay of the Rhinos first team squad since making his debut back in 2001 and this season the hooker will celebrate his testimonial. 

His early career highlight was as man of the match in the 2004 Grand Final success, however he matured over the intervening three years and was a linchpin of the side who returned to Championship glory in 2007. 

That season he made 24 starts and scored four tries before missing just three games due to an elbow and hand injury the following year and was one of just seven players to win three Championships in with the Rhinos with the win over Saints at Old Trafford. 

Matt Diskin returned to his best form with the Rhinos in 2008 and was unlucky not to earn a place in the England squad for the World Cup. 

He showed his versatility as well, captaining the side in the absence of Kevin Sinfield and starting the game at Hull KR at loose forward. It was a big year for the former Dewsbury Moor amateur as he also graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a degree in Sports Science along with team mates Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Jones-Buchanan and coach Willie Poching.

Matt faced a major challenge to his role within the team in 2009 with the signing of Australian legend Danny Buderus but the developing link between the pair was beginning to bear fruit for the Rhinos when the latter suffered a season ending injury. Diskin accepted the responsibility as the sole hooker once again and led the team to glory at Old Trafford with a crucial try. 

Leeds beat off a number of clubs vying for a 15 year old Matt Diskin’s signature back in 1997 and it was not long before the former Dewsbury Schools U16 captain had began to fulfil his potential. Matt was a star of the Rhinos Academy system and captained the side to the Championship in 1999.

Two years later Matt forced his way into the first team, making his debut for the Rhinos in the high pressure Challenge Cup fifth round tie at Castleford in 2001 in front of the live Grandstand cameras. The maturity he showed that day is one of his great attributes and when Australian hooker Robbie Mears decided to return home at the end of last season, Daryl Powell had no hesitation in putting Diskin in the number 9 shirt.

2004 was a triumph for Matt and he proved his importance to the Rhinos squad. He missed just one game all season, against St Helens, which notably signalled the end of the Rhinos winning start to the Super League. Matt was Leeds’ top tackler that season, making 685 tackles and with 12 tries in the season was one of the stars of 2004.

His outstanding performances were recognised when he was named the Rhinos Player of the Year for 2004 and was also a member of the Tetley’s Super League Dream Team. Matt ended the domestic season with a man of the match performance in the Super League Grand Final and was presented with the Harry Sunderland trophy. In 2005 Matt fought back from injury to make his first appearance of the season off the bench against London Broncos at Perpignan and by his third game back in the squad he scored a try to help the Rhinos to a 46-22 win over Warrington.

In 2006 Matt was back to full fitness and set about securing his place back in the first team. He made 26 starts and two appearances off the bench and scored six tries, which included two braces, the first coming against Castleford and the second against Harlequins.

Matt first received representative recognition with a place in the Yorkshire Origin side and has captained the England A team. He has played for Great Britain Schoolboys and won the Academy Championship as captain in 1999.

In 2003 he captained England in the European Nations Cup when they defeated Russia 102-0 at Odsal. Diskin also scored two tries for England against Wales in the European Nations and was part of the England A squad who toured Australia. 2002 saw Matt make his debut for Yorkshire in the Origin game, where he scored two tries in the second game and put in a man of the match display, he retained his place for the 2003 Origin game when Yorkshire finally beat Lancashire 56-6 and again was a try scorer.

Diskin has grown to be one of the best hookers in Super League and this was recognised when he was selected to make his full Great Britain debut in the 2004 Tri Nations against New Zealand, which unfortunately resulted in Matt being taken off with a knee injury just 17 minutes into the game.

At the end of the 2006 season he joined five of his fellow Rhinos team mates for international duty in the England side who were undefeated in that year’s Federation Shield Tournament.

Matt's favourite food is Chinese, his childhood hero was Superman, his moto for any young player in the game is "You never fail until you stop trying".

Disco describes his dislikes or pet hates as people who talk during films! Matt attended St John Fisher RC School in Dewsbury and favourite Leeds Tykes player is hooker Rob Rawlinson because Matt says he is short and bald like him!