For “one of the most extraordinary young talents you can ever imagine,” dogs win in the code war.
By defeating the Swans to acquire rising star Mitchell Woods, the Bulldogs have acquired one of the most exciting prospects in the NRL and AFL. Although Woods has a contract with the Bulldogs through the following season, he and his family have recently committed to a long-term agreement with the team.
One of the best young players in the league and AFL, if not the hottest, is Woods, a rising halfback star.
Both codes were vying for his services in a polite manner, with the Bulldogs and Swans courting him. Given his talent, Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo was an obvious draw for Woods, and none other than Brad Fittler selected him for the developing Blues team a year ahead of schedule.
Furthermore, like Penrith did with Nathan Cleary, Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould expressed a personal interest in a player the team hopes to develop into a force in the future. Woods will be essential to the Dogs’ halfback programme; Gould founded a similar programme at Penrith that resulted in Cleary and Jarome Luai.
Woods and Cleary are not being compared, but the Dogs are excited about what lies ahead for him.
Gould said, “One of the most incredible young talents you can ever imagine is Mitchell Woods.”
“In the past few years, he has simultaneously participated in rugby, AFL, and rugby league at the top school sport levels and elite junior academies. He has a bright future in any of these sports, no question about it. To talk about his future, we actually went and had a meeting with the Sydney Swans development staff. He could succeed in either code, as we both agreed, but it was time for him to focus on just one game.
The Bulldogs and Swans assured Mitchell that they would help him pursue his career choice in any sport, but we both agreed that he needed to make that decision right away because his training for the respective codes was about to change significantly and become highly specialised.
The Bulldogs are obviously appreciative that Mitchell has decided to play rugby league professionally for our team. Not only is it fantastic for our club, but it’s also excellent for rugby league. We also know that the Swans players will be supporting him.
“This season, Mitchell led our Harold Matthews Premiership-winning squad. In addition, he won player of the year. He is a young man of great dedication and hard work. The idea that we will witness his growth as a professional football player excites us. Mitchell is a fortunate member of our club.
coveted chook More investigation into the largest contract in Rugby Australia history has resulted from Nick Politis’ revelation that Joseph Suaalii has informed him he will return to the Roosters at the conclusion of his rugby contract. Suaalii’s rugby contract is reportedly in jeopardy, according to persistent rumours from NRL sources, with rumours circulating that those funding the deal are starting to second-guess themselves.
