Zac Woolford still doesn’t know why he was bombed out of Canberra - but that’s driving him on to flourish with Huddersfield. The Aussie hooker can’t wait to start life in Super League after his NRL frustrations. Woolford was Ricky Stuart’s starting No9 in 2022 and 2023, playing almost 40 first-grade games.
But he was unexpectedly cast off to the reserves by the veteran Raiders head coach last year and appeared just once in the NRL. Asked if he’d ever got a reason from the famously volatile Stuart, Woolford admitted: “Not really. It was tough. Outside of footy we get on really well. We still do. The day before I left to come to England I went in there and said ‘goodbye’ to everyone. It wasn’t like it was a personal thing. It was just something about my footy.
“That was probably the most frustrating thing: I never got a straight answer. He kind of danced around it and refused to pick me that last year, which is weird because the two years I played before we had reasonable success. "We made the finals twice. It is what it is. It’s rugby league and full of different opinions and that’s the way it went.”.
Woolford, 28, instead took up the option to join Huddersfield and has a point to prove. He said: "I definitely feel like that and know I haven’t reached anywhere near my ceiling. I don't think Canberra felt I could get to the heights I’m capable of. “Hopefully I reach that here with Huddersfield, win some games and do some good things.”.
