44-year-old Matt Utai has suffered a number of bullet wounds after being targeted outside a home on Macquarie St in Greenacre about 6am on Tuesday. Police were told the former NRL winger was fired upon by occupants of an SUV before they fled the scene.
Paramedics treated Utai before rushing him to hospital in a serious condition. He was conscious when arriving at hospital, and is believed not to have been the intended target in the shooting.
An SUV was later found ablaze on Samuel St in Wiley Park and has since been seized for forensic examination. Detectives have attended both locations as an investigation is launched into the incident.
Utai is best known for the eight seasons he spent at the Canterbury Bulldogs between 2002 and 2009, where he appeared in 127 games. He scored 13 tries in 21 appearances during his debut season in 2002 and was awarded Dally M Rookie of the Year.
Utai helped secure the premiership for the Bulldogs two seasons later, scoring two tries in a 16-13 win over the Sydney Roosters in the 2004 NRL Grand Final. His success at Canterbury also led to international appearances, representing both New Zealand and Samoa.
He later signed with the West Tigers for three years between 2011 and 2013.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers.