Less than a week after Tallyn Da Silva exited the Wests Tigers to sign with the Parramatta Eels in a mid-season switch, the club has wasted no time preparing for the future.
Overlooked by theย Penrith Panthers in the Harold Matthews Cup trials, Jared Haywood has gone on to become one of the best up-and-coming talents at the Tigers and was given his first NRL contract until the end of 2028 earlier this season. He will join the Top 30 roster from 2027 onwards.
While a source toldย Zero Tackleย that he was upgraded to a train-and-trial contract for the remainder of the season on a full-time basis, the Wests Tigers have confirmed that there was always a train-and-trial component in his contract.
As he prepares to join the club's first-grade squad in the coming seasons, Haywood has been able to learn from the likes of Apisai Koroisau and Tristan Hope.
In the past 12 months, he was named captain of the Balmain Tigers SG Ball Cup side, helped lead Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown to the NRL Schoolboys Grand Final, and was named in the 2024 Australian Schoolboys squad.
He also had the opportunity to play in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge earlier this year after being brought into the club by Joe Conti, the father of up-and-coming playmakers Alex and Levi Conti.
Aiming to make his first-grade debut in the coming season, he has impressed his fellow Tigers teammates with his hard work and work ethic.
"He's trained with us a few times and he's a really exciting prospect," stand-in captain Alex Twal said.
"First and foremost, he's a really respectful kid and I think any kid that is sort of building off a foundation of being a good kid, they've got a long career ahead of them.
"I'm looking forward to taking him under my wing and showing him what it takes to be an NRL player week in, week out."
