Wests Tigers captain Aaron Woods says that playing the opening game of the 2016 NRL season at home will give his side a huge boost when they take on the New Zealand Warriors this Saturday, March 5 at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Having not played a season opener at home since 2013, Wests Tigers will open the year at Campbelltown Sports Stadium against a Warriors side tipped by many to be premiership contenders this season. And according to Woods, being at home, in front of the fans, will be a serious advantage for Jason Taylor's side when they take the field on Saturday.
"It's a massive advantage for us this week," Woods said on Tuesday.
"It's one of our main home grounds and it's a local ground that a lot of the boys in our side this week have grown up playing at.
"When we get a lot more fans out at the game, you can feel that it does pump the boys up and get them going in the game... so hopefully we get a packed house out there."
Announced as Club captain in 2016, Woods said his side weren't worried about the wooden spoon tag touted in the media, saying the underdog status will actually help the team.
"It doesn't really bother us, to be honest [when they talk about the wooden spoon]," he said.
"It's probably a good thing for the boys — there's no expectation on us.
"We know what we can do and what we can't do. We've ripped in all pre-season and set goals for ourselves this year, and we know that the results will do all the talking."
See what Woods had to say about this week's game and more in the video above.
Be there for the first game of 2016 when we take on the Warriors! Get your tickets here!
