NRL Transfer Market: Aaron Woods says he has plenty to offer a new team in 2022
Aaron Woods admits his best years are behind him, but the Sharks veteran is adament he has plenty more to give as he looks for a new team in 2022.
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A candid Aaron Woods has conceded his “best years are probably behind” him, but the Cronulla forward has a message for clubs with young rosters heading into next season.
While the Sharks will not be renewing Woods’ $600,000-a-season contract when it expires in October, the 30-year old believes 225 games of NRL experience would be an invaluable addition to a budding roster.
“I love just playing footy. I know my best years are probably behind me but I have a lot of leadership and I would really like to help out some younger guys in other teams,” Woods said.
“There’s still a lot I can offer. I don’t want to give away too much because I’m still playing here … there is still a lot of desire.
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While Woods has joked about returning to the Wests Tigers, where he made his NRL debut in 2011, Brisbane have emerged as a genuine suitor. A club going through a roster overhaul and desperately trying to find the right mix between youth and experience.
Woods revealed all contract talks have been placed on hold after the tragic death of a childhood friend on Tuesday.
“I’ve got a few things going on in my life at the moment,” Woods said
“I haven’t had the chance to check that out, I’ve left that with my management. I’ll get back to it later in the week.
“When you look at other clubs it’s something you do look at … where they are at and if what I have got will really help that side or better that team.”
Having won a State of Origin series in 2014, a Four Nations tournament in 2016 and a World Cup trophy in 2017, there is still one major accolade that has eluded Woods so far, the coveted premiership ring.
“I have done a lot in the game but I haven’t won a competition yet, that’s something I really want to do. I still have passion to play every week. I love it, I love being around the boys,” Woods said.
“The moment you start questioning yourself is the moment you have to give it up but I’m a long way away from that.”
Sharks teammate Aiden Tolman is also without a club for next season.
The premiership-winning forward, who turns 33 in November and is 10 matches from the prestigious 300-game club, said his future would become clearer over the next month.
“I’d love to continue to play. I’d love to stay here at the Sharks.” Tolman said.
“All I can do for my future is keep getting picked in the side every week, keep doing my job for the team and hopefully something comes off the back of that.
“With the rule changes I’m still playing plenty of minutes, getting through a lot of work.”
Woods and Tolman, alongside the likes of unwanted Tigers forward Russell Packer and Covid breachers Dylan Napa and Paul Vaughan, highlight a list of 20-plus props without deals for 2022.
Napa’s immediate playing future is up in the air with the 28-year old to front the Canterbury board to explain why he was out drinking excessively the night before training, and broke Covid rules to do so.
Vaughan’s illegal and ill-fated BBQ get together with teammates on Saturday night not only cost the him $50,000 but a chance to use the back end of the season as an audition to secure a new deal for 2022 after the his contract was torn up by the Dragons.
“He’s played for NSW, played for his country and he was playing some footy this year. He’s still a quality player and got plenty to offer, it will depend on whether a club wants to pick him up,” Tolman said of Vaughan’s chances of remaining in the NRL.
But it isn’t just the off-contract stars on the props merry-go-round, high-profile forwards like Brisbane’s Tevita Pangai Jnr and Cronulla’s Andrew Fifita are along for the ride despite being contracted to their respective clubs.
It’s understood the Sharks are open to offloading Fifita, who was recently linked to England‘s Wakefield Trinity, to ease salary cap pressures but only to a club that is willing to pick up a sizeable portion of his rich $850,000-a-season deal.
Pangai Jnr’s chequered relationship with the Broncos has a number of Sydney sides including Canterbury, Tigers and Dragons interested in the prop.
It was a similar scenario for Matt Lodge, who despite being signed until the end of season 2024, was shown the door at Red Hill last week after assurances he was wanted at Brisbane.
Lodge was eventually released to the Warriors.
“I was looking at leaving before pre-season and they changed their mind a few times, I was staying and then going, then staying … it was hard to communicate with other clubs until I got a payout figure and permission to do so,” Lodge said.
“It dragged on a little bit but got it done. I’m happy it’s all behind me now.”
The battle to not only recruit but retain the game’s best forwards was no more evident than the moves made by NRL powerhouse clubs Penrith and the Sydney Roosters on Tuesday.
Panthers enforcer James Fisher-Harris and rising Tricolours big man Lindsay Collins were both signed until the end of season 2026, three months before the duo were set to hit the open market.
“I don‘t even think I asked for details. It was just ’they are offering you a contract’ and I said ’yep’ straight away. This club means a lot to me, it gave me an opportunity to come down here when I was 20-years old and I haven’t looked back since,” Collins said.
New Blue becomes NRL’s most sought-after player
He has been dubbed a 29-year warhorse but new NSW starting forward Dale Finucane has suddenly become the most sought-after player on the NRL open market.
On the day Finucane was drafted into the Blues pack, The Daily Telegraph can reveal eight NRL clubs are chasing the off-contract Storm champion.
And manager, Andrew Purcell, claimed his client was “99 per cent” certain to leave the Storm after this season, despite coach Craig Bellamy saying just last week he would “hate to lose” Finucane.
North Queensland Cowboys, Wests Tigers, Newcastle Knights, Cronulla Sharks, Gold Coast Titans, Brisbane Broncos, St George Illawarra Dragons and Melbourne are all interested in the middle forward.
One club Finucane’s camp thought might chase the Blues star, Canterbury, weren’t interested.
First emergency Finucane was elevated into the NSW 17-man side on Monday morning after Newcastle prop Daniel Saifiti withdrew with a rib injury.
With Finucane promoted, NSW coach Brad Fittler named Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson and rookie Wests Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu as 19th and 20th players on an extended NSW bench.
Gutherson played in the centres for the Blues in last year’s 2-1 series loss to the Maroons, and will be the fifth current starting NRL fullback in the NSW squad, joining captain James Tedesco, centres Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic and reserve Nicho Hynes.
Fittler tagged Utoikamanu a State of Origin bolter in the 2020 preseason, before he had even played an NRL game.
Purcell said he hoped to have Finucane signed and sorted for next season by the middle of July.
“The long and short of it was that over the first four months of negotiations, nobody really believed Dale was ever leaving Melbourne. They all assumed they were being used to pump up his dollars,” Purcell said.
“The situation at Melbourne, it is what it is. No-one is hiding anything. They are a successful club with high-paid players and they have to juggle that, mix that and do the best they can.
“Dale can stay but he’s not getting any younger and it looks like there’s a 99 per cent chance he is going to leave.
“Now that it’s genuine he’s going to leave, clubs have needed time to move players around to create the cap space needed to get him. We don’t want to cut anyone off, we want to make sure that everyone gets a fair crack.
“Over the last five years, whenever you sit down with a club, they say when he comes off we want to have a go if he’s genuine about leaving.
“There aren’t many guys on the market who have played in an NRL grand final every 32 games they have played in their lives. Standards, that’s what you get with Dale.”
The Dragons have already met with Finucane, who will enter camp with NSW on Tuesday.
Saifiti played for 37 minutes for Newcastle last Saturday before sustaining a whack to the ribs. The giant Knights prop ran for 244 metres during Origin II in Brisbane.
“He is a huge loss,” said NSW coach Brad Fittler. “Since the Perth (game) a couple of years ago, he has been at the head of our footy team.
“But a rib cartilage can be a very painful injury, and if he were to play, he would be under a major amount of duress, and he wouldn’t be able to train that much.”
Finucane‘s elevation from 18th man should ensure giant forward Payne Haas starts Origin III.
The Blues are already without halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai through injury. NRL management is expected to announce the Origin II venue on Tuesday with Newcastle still the favourite.
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