Woolford joins Dragons
By Daniel Pace
June 21, 2006
CANBERRA hooker Simon Woolford has signed to join NRL club St George-Illawarra for two years, citing the opportunity to play under former first-grade rake Nathan Brown and a change of scenery as his reasons.
The Canberra No.9 travelled to Sydney today to officially seal the deal with the Dragons, who will lose skipper Trent Barrett (Wigan) and bullocking prop Luke Bailey (Gold Coast) at the end of this season.
"One door shuts and another opens,'' Woolford, 31, said.
"I've enjoyed every minute of the Raiders but I've got to the stage where, to really enjoy and get the most out of my last couple of years, I need a change of environment.
"There would've been a handful of clubs which I would've jumped out of my skin to go to and the Dragons is one of them.
"I'm thankful I've been given the opportunity."
Woolford said the chance to play under Brown - who is just two years older than the former Raiders skipper - was too good to refuse.
Brown played 171 first-grade games for the Dragons before a serious neck injury forced him to retire in 2001.
"The coach is an ex-hooker, which really appeals to me,'' Woolford, who has played all his 226 first-grade games with Canberra, said.
"I used to play against Browny a lot and he was certainly a smart player and I'm looking forward to being coached by him and getting amongst a new bunch of guys and proving myself all over again.
"It's exciting mate.
"As long as the Dragons win a comp next year and not this year.''
Dragons hooker Dean Young is expected to shift to the back row to make way for Woolford.
The Raiders face a drain of experience, with captain Clinton Schifcofske considering switching codes to join the Queensland Reds, five-eighth Jason Smith tipped to sign with South Sydney, and lock Jason Croker likely to play in England next year.
Both Smith and Woolford had been given permission to negotiate with other clubs, but the Reds' three-year offer to Schifcofske caught the Raiders completely off guard.
Canberra chief executive Simon Hawkins said the club's recruitment plans depended on whether Schifcofske, who turns 31 in November, stayed with the Raiders or decided to switch codes.
His chances of playing rugby union nosedived today when the Australian Rugby Union refused to offer Schifcofske a top-up deal, infuriating Reds coach Eddie Jones.
"We're just waiting to see what Choc (Schifcofske) is going to do," Hawkins said.
"If he wants to go we'd be looking for at least one player with a fair degree of experience.
"It's important to get a balance in seniority in the team, and we're very conscious of that."
Croker (307), Woolford (226), Schifcofske (224) and Smith (180) have played a combined total of 937 first-grade matches, leaving a huge void in experience for Hawkins and incoming coach Neil Henry to fill if they all leave the club.
AAP