'Bacteria' to thrive in Storm
December 30, 2007 NRL premiers Melbourne have completed a major signing coup by poaching promising Canberra junior James Woolford, the nephew of former Raiders captain Simon Woolford.
Tagged with the unfortunate nickname 'Bacteria' to compliment his uncle's moniker of 'Germ', Woolford junior's first choice was to remain with the Raiders.
The blue-blood pedigree hooker, 17, will complete his Year 12 studies in Melbourne after signing a three-year contract with the Storm.
The Raiders' SG Ball and NSW under 17s hooker last season, Woolford has been snapped up by the Storm to ply his trade in the new national under-20s competition as the understudy to Kangaroos hooker Cameron Smith.
"To be honest, he wanted to stay in Canberra because he's only young and he was a little bit sceptical about moving so far away," Woolford Sr said.
"At the end of the day the Raiders probably expected him to stay, but then other clubs came out and showed more interest in him so the decision was basically made for him.
"I know he was a little bit disappointed in the level of interest Canberra showed in him as opposed to the Storm and the Dragons.
"But it's good that it's worked out the way it has. I don't want to talk him up too much but he has got a fair bit of ability and I know he's certainly got the attitude to be successful.
"He could do a lot worse than going to the Storm for the next three years, where he'll be coached by Craig Bellamy and have Cameron Smith teaching him all the tricks of the trade."
A Young junior who is the son of Simon's brother Stephen, Woolford's new teammates were quick to tag him "Bacteria".
It was Bellamy who first came up with "Germ" when he coached Woolford Sr in the Canberra juniors in the early 1990s.
"The boys have given me Germ, Virus and Bacteria, I didn't really get a choice in the matter," James Woolford said.
"To be honest, Simon and I are very similar. I've learned plenty of stuff from him and he's always only too happy to give out a few pointers.
"Melbourne was actually my last preference, I really wanted to stay in Canberra because it was close to home.
"But then the Melbourne offer was much better and the more I thought about it, the opportunity really appealed."
Bellamy described the family similarities as uncanny.
"James has certainly got Simon's confidence but he hasn't quite got his brashness, which is a nice change."
Canberra general manager Don Furner said while the Raiders were interested in keeping Woolford the Storm offer was simply too lucrative.
"He's a good kid but we just can't go paying that sort of money," Furner said.
