SYDNEY, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A gunman wounded former rugby league star Matt Utai in a drive-by shooting Tuesday in western Sydney, Australian police and local media said.

Police said the attacker fired in the early morning on a 44-year-old man, who was on the front lawn of his home in the suburb of Greenacre.

Two men -- the gunman and the driver -- are believed to have carried out the attack from an SUV, which drove away from the scene, they said.

Soon afterwards, police found an SUV on fire in a nearby street.

Though police did not identify the victim, local media said he was Utai, a former National Rugby League winger with the Bulldogs and Wests Tigers.

Paramedics treated him for "multiple gunshot wounds" and rushed him to hospital, New South Wales police superintendent Rodney Hart said.

He was in a serious but stable condition with gunshot wounds to his lower leg and upper shoulder and chest areas, he told reporters.

"He is currently undergoing surgery in hospital, and our main focus at this moment, not only is to identify who is involved in this, but to ensure he and his family are safe," Hart said.

Police were investigating whether the assailants intended to target the victim or someone that he knew or associated with, he said.

"Investigators will look at who he is involved in, who his family may be involved in, and any links that may be to organized crime," Hart said.

The victim had no criminal history, he said.