Former NRL star Matt Utai is in hospital fighting for his life after being shot multiple times on his front lawn, in what police are treating as an ambush attack with no clear motive.

The 2004 premiership-winning Canterbury winger was left with serious leg wounds after the attack in Greenacre, in western Sydney, at about 6am on Tuesday.

He underwent surgery hours later.

Police were told shots were fired at a 44-year-old from an SUV that was later found burned out in Wiley Park.

“It’s a brazen ambush,” NSW police Supt Rodney Hart told reporters on Tuesday.

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Local police have handed the investigation over to the organised crime-focused Raptor Squad. But a motive remains unclear, with Utai having no clear links to criminal activity.

“This was definitely targeted,” Hart alleged. “Whether the victim was the intended target or it was somebody that he knows or associates with or is related to will all form part of the investigation.”

Utai had walked out of his family home and was about to drive to work when he was shot.

He was “obviously in a fair bit of pain” but able to speak with arriving police who applied first aid, Hart said.

Utai was stabilised by paramedics and then taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition before undergoing surgery.

Utai starred in the 2004 NRL grand final, scoring two tries as his Bulldogs knocked off the Sydney Roosters 16-13.

The New Zealand and Samoa international played 167 NRL games, joining the Wests Tigers in 2011 and spending three seasons there.

The 2002 Dally M rookie of the year finished his NRL career with 85 tries.