Woods no fan of mid-season NRL deal talks

Wests Tigers skipper Aaron Woods says he does not like the NRL's transfer rules as rival clubs circle seeking to prise him away from Concord.

Off-contract Wests Tigers star Aaron Woods is no fan of the NRL's transfer system which he admits has caused a distraction as clubs continue to vie for his signature.

The 26-year-old is hopeful of making a decision on his future within weeks, as rival clubs table big-money offers to prise the influential forward away from Concord.

The NRL's player market has come under increasing scrutiny with players agreeing to deals at other clubs with significant amounts of time remaining on their current deals.

Six rounds into the season, Woods is in the midst of one of the competition's most high-profile negotiations.

"I don't like it," Woods told Fox Sports' NRL 360.

"I'd rather get it done before the start of the year or at the end of the year.

"Going through it at the moment, you're in the headlines 24-7."

The NSW Origin enforcer said he had postponed making a call on his contract after the Tigers went on a losing run to avoid making a decision while angry.

"I'd be lying if I (said I) wasn't thinking about it at times," Woods said.

"We've got the best fans, I love the Wests Tigers' fans, but sometimes they ask you what you're doing.

"I want them to say 'how good was the footy on the weekend', not 'what are you doing with your contract?'"

Canterbury skipper James Graham said the NRL's system was similar to football's Bosman rule, whereby players can move in the last six months of a contract without a transfer fee being paid to the club they leave.

"There is no sort of transfer fees paid for players under contract, that's just one of the cons of the transfer system that we're in at the minute," Graham said.

"It's a difficult one to fix in terms of players agreeing to contracts with other clubs with six months, five months of football left."

Woods agreed there was no quick fix to the problem.

"There's always going to be ways people are going to get around it."


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Source: AAP



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