AARON WOODS AWARE OF 'SECOND YEAR SYNDROME'

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AARON WOODS AWARE OF 'SECOND YEAR SYNDROME'
By Wayne Cousins
21/11/2011 1:18:33 PM

Aaron Woods has prepared himself mentally for the much talked about ‘second year syndrome’.

The 20-year-old prop is aware of the added pressure that will be placed on him next season after a stellar debut season in the NRL, culminating in winning the Wests Tigers Rookie of the Year award in 2011\. It also saw him named in the Kangaroos train-on squad for the Four Nations final.

Having put a career threatening hamstring injury behind him, Woods has wasted little time in getting ready for next season, producing a very good performance in leading his group to victory in the Wests Tigers Strongman Challenge last Friday.

With Australian Test prop Keith Galloway having a mortgage on one of the positions, Woods is in a battle with Matt Groat, former Penrith front-rower Matt Bell, Junior Moors, impressive young U20s prop Mosese Fotuaika and ex Salford player Jack Spencer for the other vacant front-row position following the departure of Bryce Gibbs and the retirement of Todd Payten.

Kiwi back-rower Adam Blair can also play prop.

“The second year is more or less ‘lazy syndrome’ because you think you have made it and you don’t train as hard in the off-season,’’ Woods said.

“It is a mental thing. You need to build a bridge and get over what you did last year. Last off-season, I trained so hard to just try to get a spot after just two games in 2010 whereas this pre-season, I need to train even harder.

“I can’t be happy just coming off the interchange bench or just in the side one week and then out another. I want to start every week and be one of the leaders of the side.

“The starting position is there to take but I need to lift my game 100 per cent. It won’t be easy but I’m confident in my ability.”
 
Well that's interesting for the fact that Junior Moors appears to be sticking around, but there was no mention of Neil Begovich, arguably the most consistent player from this year's NYC squad, while Mosese Fotuaika is also in the mix.

So front row options look like:

Galloway
Woods
Bell
Groat
Moors
Fotuaika
Spencer

And backrow options who could shift to front row for a stint are Blair and Ellis.
 
@willow said:
Well that's interesting for the fact that Junior Moors appears to be sticking around, but there was no mention of Neil Begovich, arguably the most consistent player from this year's NYC squad, while Mosese Fotuaika is also in the mix.

So front row options look like:

Galloway
Woods
Bell
Groat
Moors
Fotuaika
Spencer

And backrow options who could shift to front row for a stint are Blair and Ellis.
Click to expand...

do you think bergovich might be an oversight??

maybe they think he needs a year with the state cup.
 
@Goose said:
@willow said:
Well that's interesting for the fact that Junior Moors appears to be sticking around, but there was no mention of Neil Begovich, arguably the most consistent player from this year's NYC squad, while Mosese Fotuaika is also in the mix.

So front row options look like:

Galloway
Woods
Bell
Groat
Moors
Fotuaika
Spencer

And backrow options who could shift to front row for a stint are Blair and Ellis.

do you think bergovich might be an oversight??

maybe they think he needs a year with the state cup.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I don't think so. If Groat can handle FG, then so can Begovich because he was arguably more consistent and played more minutes than Groat in the NYC. But as we know, Begovich does have his own business, and if it's proving to be successful, then he may well have decided to focus on business first and rugby league second given he is not guaratneed a walk up start in the Tigers side.

I'd rank Begovich the 5th best prop in the club at the moment, but that's purely dependent on how hard Moors is prepared to work, and how Fotuaika develops during the off-season.
 
Aaron's a good one that's for sure and to show such promise at such a young age is a great sign.

I thought Begovich was pretty impressive, hope we have kept him and Roqica.

By the way good to hear Moors is stiull with us, although I have always considered him more of a backrower than a prop.
 
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