Raiders hooker Zac Woolford already attracting attention of rivals

[greeneyed]

Canberra Raiders hooker Zac Woolford already attracting attention of rivals for his signature

He's played just three games of first grade, but exciting Raiders hooker Zac Woolford is already in demand from rival clubs. Several NRL clubs are badly in need of genuine hookers and Woolford is a smart dummy-half capable of getting his team going forward. His manager has already fielded enquiries about 2023 - watch this space.

Read more: https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/news-2022- ... 5766789f35

While his fledgling first-grade career is only just getting off the ground, young Canberra rake Zac Woolford is already being pursued by at least three rivals ahead of the 2023 season: https://www.zerotackle.com/rivals-plann ... ts-118482/

[Botman]

This is hard to say, because he has been impressive... we should not overpay for him.
For me this is very much a guy i want to keep, but at our costs and at how we value him, there is definitely a role for him in our squad and maybe as our long term starter with Josh Hodgson moving on, but i dont think we should be engaging in a bidding war for a 25 year old journeyman on the back of 3 games, even if they've been pretty good.

[BadnMean]

Brace yourselves lads, for an all out bidding war!

The Dolphins have absolutely no one else to spend it on and will go knock knock knock knocking on the fringes of 7 figures, multi years to sign the pudgy almost young rake.

[Rickmando]

This is hard to say, because he has been impressive... we should not overpay for him.
For me this is very much a guy i want to keep, but at our costs and at how we value him, there is definitely a role for him in our squad and maybe as our long term starter with Josh Hodgson moving on, but i dont think we should be engaging in a bidding war for a 25 year old journeyman on the back of 3 games, even if they've been pretty good.

This is a little different to the recent Adam Elliott “bidding war” for mine…

Spine player for starters. And it’s small sample size but the team has both looked and performed better since he’s been in there. He’s got the rest of the year to build further chemistry (important at hooker).

Given we don’t have a big money hooker on the books and no obvious plan for the position in 2023, I’d be keener to retain his services than the other spud hack I mentioned above.

[greeneyed]

We also have Adrian Trevilyan coming through. He is certainly a candidate for a long term hooker. I’m now sure Tom Starling is a (very good) bench/impact hooker, not your lead hooker.

[Rickmando]

We also have Adrian Trevilyan coming through. He is certainly a candidate for a long term hooker. I’m now sure Tom Starling is a (very good) bench/impact hooker, not your lead hooker.

I’ll agree with you there GE. I was pretty vocal championing Starling before the season, but he’s shown no improvement at all in some of the basic attributes - and that’s really disappointing. He’s firmly now in the “impact/super sub” category like you say.

Trevilyan is a good one to have waiting in the wings. Let’s say he develops with a bit of game time this year and another off season and Germ Jnr also improves - it’s then a very good problem to have that we have our pick of first grade quality hookers.

In the absence of any clear recruitment and retention strategy (and the millstone cap-chewing contracts elsewhere, sorry for the broken record) we could do worse than investing moderate amounts in spine players with the intention of them developing into above-average FGers at a position of greater impact.

We certainly shouldn’t be putting another cent above minimum wage into middle forwards right now.

[Off]

I used to give a **** about all this sign him don't sign him crap, but now I really can't be ****, It's not like we are ever going to be a consistent performing team whilst Don and Rick have the keys, so in summary "whatevs".

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[Coastalraider]

We also have Adrian Trevilyan coming through. He is certainly a candidate for a long term hooker. I’m now sure Tom Starling is a (very good) bench/impact hooker, not your lead hooker.

I’ll agree with you there GE. I was pretty vocal championing Starling before the season, but he’s shown no improvement at all in some of the basic attributes - and that’s really disappointing. He’s firmly now in the “impact/super sub” category like you say.

Trevilyan is a good one to have waiting in the wings. Let’s say he develops with a bit of game time this year and another off season and Germ Jnr also improves - it’s then a very good problem to have that we have our pick of first grade quality hookers.

In the absence of any clear recruitment and retention strategy (and the millstone cap-chewing contracts elsewhere, sorry for the broken record) we could do worse than investing moderate amounts in spine players with the intention of them developing into above-average FGers at a position of greater impact.

We certainly shouldn’t be putting another cent above minimum wage into middle forwards right now.

Agree with you both. I really thought this was the year Starling would take the next step. He showed all the signs of being able to after filling in as lead hooker during the 2020 prelim run, but he simply hasn’t stepped up. He has obviously had a lot of self inflicted off field distractions, but I’m sadly starting to think he doesn’t have that extra gear to his game, despite all early signs to the contrary.

[kiwi raider]

This is hard to say, because he has been impressive... we should not overpay for him.
For me this is very much a guy i want to keep, but at our costs and at how we value him, there is definitely a role for him in our squad and maybe as our long term starter with Josh Hodgson moving on, but i dont think we should be engaging in a bidding war for a 25 year old journeyman on the back of 3 games, even if they've been pretty good.

Agree, hope we keep him but i'd rather lose Woolford than Block Trevilyan's development and lose him

[-PJ-]

So other clubs are reportedly interested ?

[Roy Rover]

So other clubs are reportedly interested ?

Well that's the story his manager is trying to get out through the media.

[Roger Kenworthy]

We also have Adrian Trevilyan coming through. He is certainly a candidate for a long term hooker. I’m now sure Tom Starling is a (very good) bench/impact hooker, not your lead hooker.

Starling is what he is at this point in time. Damien Cook was written off as a flawed hooker at the same age - Starling has time on his side to develop his game further. I don't think we can be so quick to put a player in a category- they need a chance to evolve. Woolford is a good illustration of this too.

[zim]

Woolford is playing the exact same way he was in juniors. I made posts talking him up back then.
I think he's more an example of learning the professionalism needed to hold a spot and earn respect.

[Seiffert82]

Woolford is a very attractive hooker.

Not in the Julia Roberts category, but he could be a part-time model.

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[zim]

An air hostess in the 60s perhaps.

[irvste]

From insider reports they only asked after Zac cause his dad was the photo for may in the members calendar.. U can't make this stuff up.. Well except that I am.. Simon was the photo for may though

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[Rickmando]

Get this one done as a priority.

At the moment it’s very hard to get excited about the near future of this directionless rabble, but this will help

[dubby]

This is hard to say, because he has been impressive... we should not overpay for him.
For me this is very much a guy i want to keep, but at our costs and at how we value him, there is definitely a role for him in our squad and maybe as our long term starter with Josh Hodgson moving on, but i dont think we should be engaging in a bidding war for a 25 year old journeyman on the back of 3 games, even if they've been pretty good.

Agreed.

[Ultima]

I would be pissed if we let him go. Trevilyan looked alright in his limiting opportunities before he got injured but Woolford gives us heaps of go forward and direction. In his limited first grade games he already has 2 Line Break Assists and 2 Try Assists, he is tackling at over 92% efficiently too. While yes that's all on ~par with Starling, Starling has years of experience in first grade on him and is coming on against tired forwards.

I don't think we should throw the bank at him but he is worth a middle of the run contract for a couple years at least.

[BadnMean]

He's our bet performing hooker. Get in him in the squad. You need 3 hookers in a squad going forward anyway. If we had Starling- established, running hooker, Woolford- new, distributing hooker, Trev- young, developing hooker then Trev has some styles to grab from and we have a decent option considering if StPeter V throws anymore curve balls at the game.

Hooker position overall is a bit thin in the NRL so there probably is interest. But a month ago he was the bench hooker for Newtown Jets and no one wanted him... Should be able to get him to stay without going too high. Need him thinking, "Wow I'm playing FG footy and going well here, this might set up a whole career..." rather than, "Gees I've jagged it and I'm just gonna take the highest offer I can get for 2 years and cash in now!"

[LastRaider]

Whilst Ricky is our coach, I hope he does go to the Dolphins or something like that. Learn his craft under Wayne Bennet and then when we finally give Rick the flick, bring him back then


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[Botman]

Whilst Ricky is our coach, I hope he does go to the Dolphins or something like that. Learn his craft under Wayne Bennet and then when we finally give Rick the flick, bring him back then


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Why would he learn his craft, get better under a good coach and then come back?!

[magoo]

And cost a whole lot more

[Ultima]

I'm happy for Stuart re-signing Woolford to be his last act before retiring?

[LastRaider]

Whilst Ricky is our coach, I hope he does go to the Dolphins or something like that. Learn his craft under Wayne Bennet and then when we finally give Rick the flick, bring him back then


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Why would he learn his craft, get better under a good coach and then come back?!

Family ties to the club


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[LastRaider]

We all know, Ricky kills juniors! I’m just praying Savage can be saved although there’s not much hope… what other coach do you know would throw a rookie under a bus in a public press conference after 2 first grade games???

Then there is Rushton and Mooney… like what more can they do in a debut then what they did? Mooney got 17 mins on field and then Rushton played out of his skin… then never to be seen!


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[Off]

The cows would be good fit for the X man, close to home attractive weather and an up and coming progressive coach,


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[Raiders_Pat]

I really like the look of Woolford as a 9 but I wouldn't be paying huge money to upgrade him to an NRL contract. I'd love us to hold on to him if his price is reasonable but wouldn't be upset at all if we lost him due to another club paying overs.

I saw something around Damian Cook's contract negotiations - that Souths are hesitant to block Mamouzelos' path to first grade. I know we've got Trevilyan coming through... but could it be an idea to bring in a guy with experience like Cook, and use Cook and Trevilyan as a one two punch at 9 and 14 until Trevilyan is ready to be the starting hooker? May help with some stability in the spine as Starling isn't cutting the mustard and we've got the inexperienced Savage learning his trade at fullback.

[zim]

Cook's not a guy you buy with the idea of blooding someone else. He's your first choice and you build a game and season around him.

[Raiders_Pat]

Cook's not a guy you buy with the idea of blooding someone else. He's your first choice and you build a game and season around him.

Cook is 31 and he's still contracted to Souths next year which means he would be 33 in his first season with us if we signed him. He's the same age as Foran, and Gold Coast have bought Foran to help with blooding their junior halves. Only a poor team would consider building around a guy like Cook at this point in his career imo. Playing a role as our main hooker but on 40-50 mins rather than the full 80 to help bring a guy like Trevilyan through would be a suitable role for him at his age. I don't think he's in the mould of Cameron Smith where he will be able to play 80 min at the top level into his late 30s. But he is also an Origin player so he might be out of our price range.

[deanoman]

Kruise Leeming from the super league. A solid target.

[zim]

Cook's not a guy you buy with the idea of blooding someone else. He's your first choice and you build a game and season around him.

Cook is 31 and he's still contracted to Souths next year which means he would be 33 in his first season with us if we signed him. He's the same age as Foran, and Gold Coast have bought Foran to help with blooding their junior halves. Only a poor team would consider building around a guy like Cook at this point in his career imo. Playing a role as our main hooker but on 40-50 mins rather than the full 80 to help bring a guy like Trevilyan through would be a suitable role for him at his age. I don't think he's in the mould of Cameron Smith where he will be able to play 80 min at the top level into his late 30s. But he is also an Origin player so he might be out of our price range.

Cook is the current Blues and Australian hooker. He's not a busted player maker who's only consistent under des. No one is buying Cook, with the price tag that inevitably follows, to play 50mins. Cook is not going to any club that wants to do that either.
If we did buy him he'd be playing 80mins and Trev would be in NSW cup for 2023.

[Botman]

Cook shouldnt be playing rep footy. He was good and had his moments
He's not a rep quality hooker anymore. Api is comfortably a better and a more dynamic hooker right now.We dont need Cook, we have a version of him, and he doesnt really help us. The last thing we need is a run first spine player with limited passing/ball playing

Cook would cost us a lot and i dont what he'd add to us.

[Billy Walker]

Cook shouldnt be playing rep footy. He was good and had his moments
He's not a rep quality hooker anymore. Api is comfortably a better and a more dynamic hooker right now.We dont need Cook, we have a version of him, and he doesnt really help us. The last thing we need is a run first spine player with limited passing/ball playing

Cook would cost us a lot and i dont what he'd add to us.

Agreed

[Seiffert82]

Yep, that's a no to Cook at this stage of his career.

We're already dealing with a range of veteran contracts.

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