Aaron Woods

everett

New member
Does anyone know much about Aaron Woods?

I noticed his name in the team of emerging NSW players along with Simon Dwyer, Chris Lawrence and a number of other Wests Tigers players.

From memory I can't remember Aaron Woods playing an NRL game.

The NSW selectors must have seen some talent in him to make the list for the emerging NSW team.
 
Aaron is a fine young talent - and a future first-grader without a doubt - but it should be noted that he is not the only player listed in the 51-man emerging squad who is yet to debut in the NRL (Josh Jackson from the Bulldogs for example)!

As for Woodsy - he is still 19 (turning 20 in March) - he is a Balmain junior and is the same size as Fifita (194cm / 105kg)!

He is an aggressive runner of the ball and solid yardage maker at prop but he also has a huge defensive work-rate! He played Australian Schoolboys in 2008 and Australian U/15s in 2006 but he missed almost all of 2010 after tearing his hamstring off the bone!!

He is a top bloke who even offered me his seat at Leichhardt during the Raiders game - despite his injury (I politely declined)!

One to look out for in 2011 & beyond!!

PS - Lawrence was not on that list due to his Australian incumbent status - however Ayshford - Fifita - Galloway - Heighno & Moltz were!
 
He's a front rower and Balmain junior, represented NSW and Australia under 18's and partnered Andrew Fifita in the front row in the 2009 NYC squad who were robbed in the Grand Final against the Storm. More noted as a prop with a high workrate than an impact player like Fifita although Woods has grown more over the last couple of years and is now bigger than Fifita IMO. He stands about 6'4 and would easily be 110kg, maybe a couple less at the moment.

Tore his hammy really bad last year which resulted in him only playing a couple of games at the end of the season. He's been part of the Tigers top 25 for the past 2 years and I have it on good authority if he had not torn his hammy last year he would have gotten the nod in front of Fifita. He's very highly regarded by the club and while still eligible for the NYC this year, look for him to make his FG debut at some stage. He's having a good pre-season from what I've heard.
 
@willow said:
He's a front rower and Balmain junior, represented NSW and Australia under 18's and partnered Andrew Fifita in the front row in the 2009 NYC squad who were robbed in the Grand Final against the Storm. More noted as a prop with a high workrate than an impact player like Fifita although Woods has grown more over the last couple of years and is now bigger than Fifita IMO. He stands about 6'4 and would easily be 110kg, maybe a couple less at the moment.

Tore his hammy really bad last year which resulted in him only playing a couple of games at the end of the season. He's been part of the Tigers top 25 for the past 2 years and I have it on good authority if he had not torn his hammy last year he would have gotten the nod in front of Fifita. He's very highly regarded by the club and while still eligible for the NYC this year, look for him to make his FG debut at some stage. He's having a good pre-season from what I've heard.

Both Fifita & Woods are officially 194cm which is 6'4 in the old scale!! Aaron is a fair bit trimmer than Andrew (especially at this stage of the pre-season)!

He is a genuinely humble kid who himself dismisses his likely call-up to top grade if not for injury - but willow is right - and he is held in the highest of regards at the club! His family are also true locals & Tigers through & through!

If getting James Graham meant we lost Aaron - I would prefer not to have the Englishman!!
 
Thank you for everyone's contribution. Looks like we have another good front rower coming off the junior production line. With Payten and Ellis likely to retire in the next couple of years it looks as though we have a bunch of ready replacements to step up. Let's hope they are signed to long term deals so we benefit from their development.

Hope we get to see Woods in the trial games and hopefully pushing for a spot in the NRL.
 
I'm certainly a big fan of Aaron woods, I think he has an excellent balance between impact and work rate. As everyone above has already said, he looks like a definite first grader. We do have a number of young forwards that certainly looks the goods. Dwyer, fifita, woods, ben murdoch-masaila and Matt Hyland all look like they will make good first graders if given the chance, and IMO dwyer looks like a rep player in waiting.
 
he'll play some firstgrade this year if we get some injuries in the frontrow
 
You guys sure know how to talk a player up.

I agree with Red - Graham James Vs loosing 1 or 2 of these true prospects…. Easy decision for me
 
@redemption said:
@willow said:
He's a front rower and Balmain junior, represented NSW and Australia under 18's and partnered Andrew Fifita in the front row in the 2009 NYC squad who were robbed in the Grand Final against the Storm. More noted as a prop with a high workrate than an impact player like Fifita although Woods has grown more over the last couple of years and is now bigger than Fifita IMO. He stands about 6'4 and would easily be 110kg, maybe a couple less at the moment.

Tore his hammy really bad last year which resulted in him only playing a couple of games at the end of the season. He's been part of the Tigers top 25 for the past 2 years and I have it on good authority if he had not torn his hammy last year he would have gotten the nod in front of Fifita. He's very highly regarded by the club and while still eligible for the NYC this year, look for him to make his FG debut at some stage. He's having a good pre-season from what I've heard.

Both Fifita & Woods are officially 194cm which is 6'4 in the old scale!! Aaron is a fair bit trimmer than Andrew (especially at this stage of the pre-season)!

He is a genuinely humble kid who himself dismisses his likely call-up to top grade if not for injury - but willow is right - and he is held in the highest of regards at the club! His family are also true locals & Tigers through & through!

If getting James Graham meant we lost Aaron - I would prefer not to have the Englishman!!

x 2 IMO woods, murdoch, begovich and of course fifita are definately young guys that will be the future of the tigers. bring on 2011
 
I agree woods, fifita, & murdoch are all going to be very good players, & i want to see us sign up graham but not if we have to get rid of these players.
 
Begovich has more mongrel and power..Woodsy is to nice…but that's changing... :smiling_imp:
 
@william rodgers said:
I agree woods, fifita, & murdoch are all going to be very good players, & i want to see us sign up graham but not if we have to get rid of these players.

Yep, totally agree. If we start losing some of these local youngsters for the sake of signing an import or one of these walking headlines, then we're no different to Souths! 😕

Looking forward to seeing Woods get some game time this year, he sounds the goods.
 
@fainty said:
Has he still got his HUGE beard? That was awesome! He is still eligable for toyota cup isnt he?

he got rid of his beard once he started training with the FG squad in 2010\. For me he is the replacement for Payten over the next few years. With a lot of people i know compare his work rate to gibbs at the club but he just doesnt have that fitness yet and his discipline is better than gibbs so take your pick
 
@Spartan117 said:
Is this the guy that said he wouldnt shave to he played first grade a while back???

Im pretty sure the bet was that he wouldn't shave his beard til he scored a try, and i don't think he did. He shaved it only when he started training with the big boys after the 2009 grand final.
 
@fainty said:
Has he still got his HUGE beard? That was awesome! He is still eligable for toyota cup isnt he?

He has a bit of growth showing for his 2011 photo.
 
Of all the young forward talent I have seen since the Toyota Cup started a few years back, Woods has impressed me the most. I just cant think of a reason he will not kill them at the top level. As a long term prospect I rate him way in front of Fifita, but funny things can happen when making that last step from juniors to seniors, it can all go pear shape but I really think we are on a winner with this kid
 
@alien said:
he'll play some firstgrade this year if we get some injuries in the frontrow

"If"? I don't think Galloway's been fit during origin season once in his career!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top