Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary still harbours concerns about the NRL's year-round contract system, but has distanced the joint venture from actively angling to keep skipper Aaron Woods at the club in the wake of the Bulldogs' salary cap squeeze.
Preparing a much more settled Tigers team during the past month, which has flourished under his guidance, Cleary said "no doubt" the NRL party-poopers had benefited from moving past a storm of early season headlines about their recruitment and retention.
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"There's a bit about the uncertainty of the cap this year, but that's our contract system," Cleary said as the Tigers seek to deliver a major blow to the Cowboys' finals hopes at Campbelltown on Friday night. "And I'm a little bit worried about it.
"I spend a lot of time in recruitment and I think that's a bit of an issue in the game. I reckon it's just been more settled around here.
"There was a fair bit going on through the middle of the year and once there was a few things sorted out in terms of recruitment and retention – you guys [media] weren't turning up every day – it sort of settled things down a bit. I think that's probably shown on the field."
The Tigers will farewell Woods and Roosters-bound ace James Tedesco over the next fortnight, despite speculation the club is monitoring its captain's situation at the Bulldogs.
Woods last month declared he might have been convinced to stay at Concord had Cleary arrived at the Tigers earlier and has only had his Bulldogs deal provisionally registered as the NRL waits to see how Canterbury will be compliant with the salary cap.
The NRL and the 16 clubs have agreed to a $9.4 million cap for next year which has been tabled to the Rugby League Players Association.
But Cleary said the Tigers won't be aiming to cash in on a Bulldogs fire sale and keep Woods, which would be an added end-of-season bonus to their improving form.
"We haven't discussed [Woods staying]," Cleary said. "Aaron has made a commitment and as far as I know he aims to honour that and the Bulldogs would be the same.
"Our club was definitely in a recovery mode throughout the middle of the year – we're probably still in it to some extent – but the last couple of months we definitely feel we're getting some traction for the rebuild or reset and that's a credit to the players."
Meanwhile, Woods' front-row partner Tim Grant has signed a one-year deal the Tigers to keep him at the club beyond this season.
"As your career goes on and you come and go through rep football and that sort of stuff you look for different things that stimulate you," Grant said. "For me helping young guys day in, day out, with the little things in their game is what stimulates me to come and do my best every day."
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