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Ingredients all come together for Woods to really impress
Date April 12, 2013
Glenn Jackson
Rugby League Writer
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If Aaron Woods were to pick the perfect opportunity to impress before the representative season, this Sunday would come close: a stoush with two fellow in-form front-rowers with rep potential, on the SCG, just before the Test and City-Country selectors meet next door.
Woods has bolted into calculations for a NSW jersey this year, while some even believe he may force his way into the Australian squad for the Test against New Zealand next Friday.
On Sunday, he will take on two others in the picture, St George Illawarra's Trent Merrin and Dan Hunt. Woods is aware of the hype, but not necessarily listening to it.
''Dan Hunt's been playing awesome, Jack Stockwell has been great too, and Trent Merrin is a NSW front-rower already,'' Woods said. ''They've got a really good pack, and we need to contain them. They've been getting a lot of strike from their go-forward.
''Obviously it's a goal: you want to make City-Country, you want to play for NSW, you want to play in a Test - if they're not your goals then what are you doing? You want to be the best at what you can do. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I'll just go back and work harder.''
A slightly bung knee makes Woods's form so far this year even more impressive. Off-season surgery has meant that his training in the early weeks of the season has been limited.
He has been able to train, generally, only once in the lead-up to matches. On Thursday, as his teammates sweltered at Concord Oval, Woods was sidelined. That said, he made use of the occasion, talking to three Western Suburbs legends Tommy Raudonikis, Noel Kelly and Arthur Summons, before the clash at the SCG, which will celebrate the 1963 grand final.
Raudonikis, who wasn't playing in that game but will attend the 50th anniversary match, urged Woods to channel one of his former teammates, the late John Donnelly.
''I don't know much about him [Woods], but they tell me he's a good, up-and-coming, young player,'' Raudonikis said. ''I did speak to him out there, and I said, 'Can you remember a bloke called John Donnelly?' He was big, he probably drank too much beer, he was an epileptic, but one thing about him, he played 80 minutes, and never, never, ever let you down.
''He was an aggressive player who would do whatever was asked of him. And he did everything unconditionally. If he can be like him … wow. You want the opposition front-rower to not want to play against him.''
At the same time, Woods wants to be a player his teammates want to play with.
''I like a little bit of a leadership role,'' Woods said. ''A young bloke like Jack Buchanan talks to me, and if I can help him, I'll help him. But in saying that, I still go back to Keith [Galloway, the injured Tigers prop] and say, 'What do you reckon I should do here?'
''I talk to him all the time. Keithy's been a big help for me. He just tells me what my job should be. He just reminds me what I need to do. He's good for me.
''Also Toddy Payten - every game, I speak to him before, half-time, after; what I can fix, what I can improve, what I should have done. We've got some good front-rowers around the club who really help me out, too.''
Date April 12, 2013
Glenn Jackson
Rugby League Writer
\
\
If Aaron Woods were to pick the perfect opportunity to impress before the representative season, this Sunday would come close: a stoush with two fellow in-form front-rowers with rep potential, on the SCG, just before the Test and City-Country selectors meet next door.
Woods has bolted into calculations for a NSW jersey this year, while some even believe he may force his way into the Australian squad for the Test against New Zealand next Friday.
On Sunday, he will take on two others in the picture, St George Illawarra's Trent Merrin and Dan Hunt. Woods is aware of the hype, but not necessarily listening to it.
''Dan Hunt's been playing awesome, Jack Stockwell has been great too, and Trent Merrin is a NSW front-rower already,'' Woods said. ''They've got a really good pack, and we need to contain them. They've been getting a lot of strike from their go-forward.
''Obviously it's a goal: you want to make City-Country, you want to play for NSW, you want to play in a Test - if they're not your goals then what are you doing? You want to be the best at what you can do. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I'll just go back and work harder.''
A slightly bung knee makes Woods's form so far this year even more impressive. Off-season surgery has meant that his training in the early weeks of the season has been limited.
He has been able to train, generally, only once in the lead-up to matches. On Thursday, as his teammates sweltered at Concord Oval, Woods was sidelined. That said, he made use of the occasion, talking to three Western Suburbs legends Tommy Raudonikis, Noel Kelly and Arthur Summons, before the clash at the SCG, which will celebrate the 1963 grand final.
Raudonikis, who wasn't playing in that game but will attend the 50th anniversary match, urged Woods to channel one of his former teammates, the late John Donnelly.
''I don't know much about him [Woods], but they tell me he's a good, up-and-coming, young player,'' Raudonikis said. ''I did speak to him out there, and I said, 'Can you remember a bloke called John Donnelly?' He was big, he probably drank too much beer, he was an epileptic, but one thing about him, he played 80 minutes, and never, never, ever let you down.
''He was an aggressive player who would do whatever was asked of him. And he did everything unconditionally. If he can be like him … wow. You want the opposition front-rower to not want to play against him.''
At the same time, Woods wants to be a player his teammates want to play with.
''I like a little bit of a leadership role,'' Woods said. ''A young bloke like Jack Buchanan talks to me, and if I can help him, I'll help him. But in saying that, I still go back to Keith [Galloway, the injured Tigers prop] and say, 'What do you reckon I should do here?'
''I talk to him all the time. Keithy's been a big help for me. He just tells me what my job should be. He just reminds me what I need to do. He's good for me.
''Also Toddy Payten - every game, I speak to him before, half-time, after; what I can fix, what I can improve, what I should have done. We've got some good front-rowers around the club who really help me out, too.''
