Wests Tigers’ Aaron Woods calls on NRL rivals to stop pulling his hair

AARON Woods has revealed how his long hair is deliberately pulled at every game, and certain players in the NRL go out of their way to target his locks.

Raiders David Shillington headbutts Tigers Aaron Woods and gets sent from the field by Refere Jared Maxwell during the NRL game between the Canberra Raiders and the Wests Tigers at GIO Stadium,Canberra .Picture Gregg Porteous

WESTS Tigers prop Aaron Woods has revealed how his long hair is deliberately pulled at every game, and certain players in the NRL go out of their way to target his locks.

Woods said after the win over Canberra on Monday that forward Frank-Paul Nuuausala had yanked at his hair all night.

But it turns out the grubby tactics weren’t a one-off.

With big players like Woods no longer able to throw a punch, pulling hair has become a dirty ploy to get under the skin of rivals.

Woods, who will lead from the front when the Tigers chase three straight wins against Newcastle at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Saturday afternoon, said he often reminded himself not to retaliate because of the stiff consequences.

Pulling hair has gone on for years in rugby league, and it’s another embarrassing look for the game that is now dealing with weekly scenes of players forever niggling and shoving each other.

No player is yet to land in hot water with the match review committee for pulling hair. The NRL said last night there was the potential to charge an offender with contrary conduct, but only under extreme circumstances.

“Some players do target the hair a lot more,’’ Woods said on Thursday.

Woods admits his long hair has given rivals another weapon.

BAN: Woods backs Shillington over headbutt

“I don’t take it personally. It’s them trying to put you off your game.

“If you can put someone off your game, it goes a long way to helping your team. Look at what we did to (David) Shillington the other night. We got him. It’s part of the battle.

“I’ve got long hair, and if I choose to grow my hair, I have to be prepared to cop some treatment.

“It will get pulled, it’s how you react to it. I get dirty on the field, but I also have to be smart. The other night if I had thrown a punch, we were 35m out, I would have given them a penalty and the chance to kick a goal and (level the score).

“It’s not worth it these days because you’ll only let your team down, the club down and the fans down.’’

Woods is one of a select few in the NRL with long hair. Parramatta forward Tepai Moreoa is another.

Woods said he would never intentionally go into a game with the view to pull another player’s long hair.

Woods admits he has to cop the tactics that come with the fashion.

The bearded enforcer has been one of the Tigers’ standouts — Woods and fullback James Tedesco have been the joint-venture’s undisputed stars all season — and will make plenty of metres out west.

The Tigers have been happy to throw the ball around the past couple of weeks and disrupted Melbourne’s top-four hopes, then all but killed off Canberra’s own finals’ aspirations.

They can continue to be a nuisance the remaining month, starting with Newcastle and making sure they remain right in the hunt for the wooden spoon.

There’s also an opportunity to stall Cronulla’s top-four aspirations next weekend, and the Dragons’ September dreams.

“A lot of people have asked what we’ve changed, but we haven’t changed much, just a few little key things. We’re slowly building and looking forward to (improving) next year,’’ Woods said.

The form of gun No.1 Tedesco will be worth the price of admission alone.

Originally published as Wests Tigers’ Aaron Woods calls on NRL rivals to stop pulling his hair