Just before the biggest club game of the year so far, Mitchell Woods will test himself against men for the first time.
If you haven’t heard of Woods or seen him play, you soon will. Well before Lachlan Galvin made his much-publicised switch from the Wests Tigers, Woods has been touted as Canterbury’s long-term halfback. It’s unlikely that Galvin’s arrival at Belmore will change that line of thinking.
Like Galvin, Woods is just 19 years old, and the club has high hopes for them both. Coach Cameron Ciraldo is yet to decide whether Galvin will run out in the Bulldogs’ blockbuster clash against arch rivals Parramatta on the King’s Birthday Monday.
Named in the extended squad, Galvin will either make his debut from the interchange bench, or line up alongside Woods in the 1.40pm curtain-raiser at Accor Stadium, when the club’s NSW Cup team takes on the Magpies.
Regardless, Woods – a NSW under-19s representative contracted to the Bulldogs until 2027 – will be involved in that reserve-grade fixture; his first taste of NSW Cup. It will be a step up after dominating at age-level competitions – he was a member of the 2023 Harold Matthews Cup premiership side, steered the 2024 SG Ball side to the grand final and was involved in the 2024 Jersey Flegg team’s premiership title defence.
For most footy fans, it will be the first chance to see what all the fuss is about.
Mitchell Woods in action for NSW at under-19s Origin level.
Injuries had stalled Woods’ progression, but the Canterbury coaching staff feel he’s now physically ready to take on grown men on the biggest stage.
“Big following Parramatta, big following Bulldogs,” Canterbury general manager of football Phil Gould told the Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
“We got 45,000 to this game last year and I think we can do better this year. So, really hoping a big crowd turns up and that’ll be a great experience for our young reserve grade side too. Mitch Woods is going to have his first game. Young Mitch Woods, people have seen him on the horizon for a while.
“He’s going to have his first start in the NSW Cup on the weekend because we wanted him to experience Accor Stadium with a good crowd there. There’ll probably be 30 or 40,000 there to watch the reserve grade in the afternoon. Make a day’s entertainment out of it and come out and watch the football.”
Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould.Credit: Nick Moir
Gould has assured Woods that Galvin’s arrival won’t impede his progress towards an NRL career. The Bulldogs are yet to work out whether Galvin’s best long-term position is five-eighth, halfback or in the back row. Galvin had success in the latter position as a junior at Western Suburbs Magpies, as part of the 2022 Harold Matthews Cup title-winning team.
The Bulldogs are hoping to break the record attendance of 65,305 fans for a standalone NRL fixture, a mark set during their Good Friday win over South Sydney. If they achieve that ambition, the club could be on track to surpass AFL’s Sydney Swans as the city’s most-attended football team by the end of the season.
The Bulldogs have already enjoyed a win over the Swans in securing the signature of Woods. The St Patrick’s College Strathfield graduate was part of the Swans academy, but ultimately chose league over Australian Rules.
Gould has taken a personal interest in the development of Woods, who he has previously compared to arguably the greatest Bulldog of them all, former No.7 Steve Mortimer. The Bulldogs also have another promising playmaker in Cassius Tia, prompting the welcome headache of how best to utilise Galvin, Matt Burton, Tia and Woods when all of them are in a position to contest for first-grade spots.
A decision on whether Galvin plays the Eels won’t be made until closer to game day.
“He’s virtually been in there all day, every day,” Gould said. “He’s been in and around the coaches and the video room and he won’t go home. They can’t get him to go home. He’s on the training field for an hour after everyone’s finished …
“We have our opinions where we think he’ll get to, and that’s what we’ve bought. That’s why we’ve invested in him. And as I said to the coaches, there’s no hurry to find the solution in the next two or three weeks. We’ve got him for three years.”
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