The Wests Tigers rebuild under Benji Marshall has well and truly begun as they look to move off the bottom of the ladder for the first time in four years and have made significant changes to their roster, bringing in the likes of Jarome Luai, Sunia Turuva and Terrell May.
Preparing for the future, the Wests Tigers have handed young hooker and playmaker Jared Haywood a long-term contract until the end of the 2028 NRL season as he prepares to make his first-grade debut in the coming seasons.
A member of the 2024 Australian Schoolboys team, Zero Tackle understands that the new deal will see him progress into the NRL squad and will take the field against the Canterbury Bulldogs on Sunday in the club's first pre-season match of the year.
Joining the club's pathways system two years ago, Haywood is currently the Balmain Tigers SG Ball Cup captain and helped lead Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown to the 2024 NRL Schoolboys Cup before going down to the Zane Harrison-led Palm Beach Currumbin.
Also able to play in the halves, his continued tenure at the club will allow him to learn off the likes of three-time premiership dummy-half Apisai Koroisau and the young and versatile Tallyn Da Silva.
