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Aaron Woods has reportedly been released by Canterbury to make a mid-season switch to Cronulla on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Woods has long been linked to a move from the Bulldogs as the club attempts to fix a salary cap laden with heavily back-ended contracts.
Multiple reports on Tuesday said Woods would immediately link with the Sharks and is a chance to play in Friday’s NRL match against Auckland.
It’s a coup for Shane Flanagan’s side in their hunt for finals football and could help revive the career of Woods, who was overlooked for Brad Fittler’s series-winning NSW State of Origin team.
For the Bulldogs it will further ease pressure on a salary cap laden with heavily back-ended contracts a week after the departure of Moses Mbye to the Wests Tigers started the clean-up.
Bulldogs chief executive Andrew Hill said the “difficult decision” to let Woods go mid-season was a joint one made by both parties.
“What it does allow is for Aaron to join his new club before the upcoming deadline and for the Bulldogs to be able to start to plan for the future with additional cap space,” Hill said in a statement.
“It has been well documented that we have had very little flexibility with our cap going forward and this will now allow us to look to the future with increased flexibility around our options.
“We wish Aaron all the very best for the future.”
Woods is expected to be available for Cronulla’s away clash with the Warriors on Friday night, with the team departing for New Zealand on Wednesday.
It’s been a tumultuous year for the ex-Wests Tigers skipper, who had a run of 14 consecutive State of Origin appearances snapped when he was not selected for game one.
Rumours have persisted throughout the season that Woods has been looking to back out of the four-year deal he signed after a messy divorce with his former club – with the Sharks often named as the favourites to land the 27-year-old.
Woods’ career highlights include featuring in all three games of New South Wales’ drought-breaking Origin victory in 2014, as well as playing for Australia in their 2016 Four Nations and 2017 World Cup triumphs.
At club level, however, the prop has only played two finals matches in his career – both of them coming off the bench at the end of his debut season in 2011.
– With AAP
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