The Bulldogs have secured one of the hottest prospects across the NRL and AFL, beating the Swans to rising star Mitchell Woods. Woods is contracted to the Bulldogs for next year and in the last few days he and his family have committed to a long-term deal with club.

Woods, a rising halfback star, is considered one of, if not the, hottest young players in league and AFL.

He was being courted by both codes, with the Bulldogs and Swans in a civilised battle for his services. Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo was an obvious attraction for Woods and no less a judge than Brad Fittler picked Woods in his emerging Blues squad a year ahead of previous plans such is his talent.

Furthermore, Bulldogs GM Phil Gould took a personal interest in a player the Dogs hope can be one they build a team around in years to come, much like Penrith have done with Nathan Cleary. Woods will be the key figure in the halfback academy that the Dogs are running – a similar academy set up by Gould at Penrith resulted in the development of Cleary and Jarome Luai.

We are not comparing Woods to Cleary, but the Dogs are excited about his prospects.

“Mitchell Woods is one of the most extraordinary young talents you can ever imagine,” Gould said.

In recent years he has played rugby, AFL and rugby league, all at the highest levels of school sport and elite junior academies in these respective sports, all at the same time. There is no doubt he has a future in any one of these sports. We actually went and met with the Sydney Swans development staff to discuss his future. We both agreed he could make it in either code, but the time had come for him to specialise in one game.

Bulldogs halfback Mitchell Woods is an outstanding all-round sportsman.

“Both the Swans and Bulldogs told Mitchell we would support him no matter which sport he chose as his career, but we both agreed he needed to make that decision now, because his training for the respective codes was about to become very specialised and very different.