- Aaron Woods has decided to hang up his boots
- The talented front-row player has played 270 premier league games
- Played 14 seasons in the NRL and represented New South Wales and Australia
After 270 games, five clubs and 14 seasons in the NRL, former New South Wales and Australia representative Aaron Woods has retired from rugby league.
The prop forward will retire at the end of this season, having achieved his childhood dream of playing for Manly in 2023.
Woods made two first division appearances as a substitute for the Sea Eagles this season, spending most of his final year playing for Blacktown Workers in the NSW Cup.
His last game for the reserves came in their 40-30 defeat to Canterbury on Saturday, as the Workers failed to qualify for the finals.
“I had a lot of family and friends there, I kind of kept it to myself,” Woods told Triple M Rush Hour on Tuesday.
“I’m not really a crying person. I didn’t cry on my wedding day. But when I walked off the field, I think the first person I saw was my oldest son, Buster, and my middle daughter, Coco, and I realised I wouldn’t be playing in front of them again.”
Woods made his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers in 2011 at the age of 20 and quickly became a fan favourite with his shaggy beard and long locks.
He forced his way into the Tigers’ starting line-up in his second season, which he capped by winning the Dally M Prop of the Year award.
NRL star Aaron Woods (pictured) has decided to hang up his boots
After 270 games, five clubs and 14 seasons in the NRL, Woods is retiring
His form earned him a call-up to NSW State of Origin in 2013, followed by a Kangaroos nomination the following year.
“It’s just a roller coaster ride,” Woods said.
“As a kid growing up in Leichhardt, all I wanted to do was become a rugby league player.”
Woods eventually racked up 146 appearances for the joint venture club before joining the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2018.
He lasted six months before joining Cronulla mid-season, where he failed to reach the grand final three years in a row.
After a brief stint at St George Illawarra in 2022, he signed with the Sea Eagles in 2023 and played 17 games for his boyhood club.
The experienced striker will retire at the end of this season
Woods played alongside NRL legends and current coaches Benji Marshall and Todd Payten during his time with the Tigers, who he credits as major influences on his career.
“To go out and run with these guys and fulfill a childhood dream… it was just unreal,” he said.
“This whole trip has been a dream come true for me.
“There are ups and downs. I’ve done almost everything in the game and I wouldn’t change a thing. You learn so many life lessons from it.”
