Wests Tigers’ Origin forward Aaron Woods has been handed the honour of captaining the club for the 2016 NRL season.
Woods, 24, has played 105 NRL games for Wests Tigers since making his debut in 2011.
The Leichhardt junior has also played five Tests for Australia and has made seven State of Origin appearances for the NSW Blues.
“Being named captain is a great honour and something that I will cherish forever,” Woods said after the official announcement.
“This club means so much to me and I can’t wait to lead the boys out onto the field throughout the season.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Being a local junior it was always my dream to play for Wests Tigers and to now being captain of this great club is very special,” he said.[/social_quote]
“We’ve put together a great leadership team here who are all committed to making this club a success both on and off the field.
“We’ve got a great group of players here and have had a strong pre-season so far,” Woods said.
“The boys are all pumped for the season ahead and it’s going to be great to kick off the year with two home games.”
The club announced that Woods will be supported by two vice captains, Dene Halatau and Chris Lawrence, both of them club stalwarts.The three players will be joined by Matt Ballin, Robbie Farah, Sauaso Sue and James Tedesco in the Wests Tigers leadership group for the 2016 NRL season.
Halatau has played 157 games for the club over two stints, and Lawrence 172 games.
Wests Tigers head coach Jason Taylor said that Woods was an ideal candidate for the role.
“Aaron never takes a backwards step, whether on or off the field, and has proven himself again and again to be a leader at this club,” Taylor said.
“It’s a testament to his character and integrity that someone so young has been selected to captain this club.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Long before being named as captain Aaron was seen as a leader here and it will be great to see how he develops further following this announcement.[/social_quote]
“I look forward to working closely with Aaron as captain, Dene and Chris as vice captains and Matt, Robbie, Sauaso and James as the leadership group over the coming season,” he said.
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe also congratulated Woods.
“On behalf of everyone at Wests Tigers I would like to congratulate Aaron on being named as our 2016 club captain,” Pascoe said.
“Over his career so far Aaron has displayed a number of qualities that make it clear to the club that he is a strong leader who will have an important role to play in the future.
“Sometimes we forget that Aaron is only 24 years old, it’s impressive that at such a young age he has already played 100 games for his club, won a State of Origin series with NSW and represented his country on a number of occasions,” he said.
“I look forward to working closely with Aaron over the coming year and seeing the impact that his leadership will have on the club.
“I’d also like to congratulate Dene and Chris on being named vice captains,” Pascoe said.
“Both men exhibit strong leadership qualities and it’s great to be able to recognise the role they play in the club officially.’’
