Wests Tigers is pleased to announce the re-signing of exciting young prop Aaron Woods for a further three seasons.
The new deal will keep the 20-year-old at the Club until the end of the 2014 season.
A Balmain junior, Woods has risen through the Wests Tigers development program culminating in him making his NRL debut in Round One this season against the Bulldogs. He has since played seven first grade games and was a member of the NSW Emerging Blues squad selected earlier this year.
Woods said that he’s enjoyed his quick rise to the top grade.
“I feel very privileged to be playing first grade and being surrounded by all of these great players. Being a local junior I’m extremely proud to be now playing for the elite squad, it’s a dream come true really,'' Woods said.
“It’s also great that I’ll be at the Club for a further three seasons but for now I just want to concentrate on doing my job for the team and helping them to win games."
Another piece of good news for Wests Tigers is the extension given to prop Andrew Fifita following an agreement between Andrew and the Club to exercise an option in his current contract for the 2012 season.
Fifita, 21, has been a revelation for Wests Tigers since making his NRL debut in Round Two last year after joining the Club from Griffith Waratahs. Like Woods, he too was a member of the NSW Emerging Blues squad.
His mobility, hard work and offloads have seem him develop into a regular member of the Wests Tigers forward pack. Fifita has played 31 NRL matches for Wests Tigers and represented Tonga last year.
“I’m enjoying my footy here at Wests Tigers and I’m learning every day. We have a good squad here so it is exciting to know that I will be apart of that for a while yet,'' Fifita said.
Wests Tigers Chief Executive Stephen Humphreys said that it was important to secure Woods and Fifita for a longer period, especially after both players’ progression through the Club’s development system.
“Aaron and Andrew are showing maturity beyond their years and are perfect examples of the depth we now have throughout our player roster,” Humphreys said.
“They’ve both had a lot more game time this year which will only benefit their development and the Club in the long run."
Woods and Fifita spearheaded the Wests Tigers pack in reaching the 2009 U20s grand final.
Source: Wests Tigers Media Release (by Wayne Cousins)