St George Illawarra is preparing to offer former NSW hooker Damien Cook a two-year contract, pending approval from South Sydney.
The Dragons have learned that Cook might be released by the Rabbitohs due to salary cap constraints and have inquired about his availability for next year.
Cook is under contract with the Rabbitohs until the end of 2025 on a deal worth about $650,000. He expressed on Thursday that he has built his life at Souths and “did not want to leave.” He has also had several conversations with incoming coach Wayne Bennett.
The Dragons are willing to offer Cook a contract but would require South Sydney to contribute part of his salary in 2025.
The opportunity for Cook to move arose a few weeks ago when Super League club Huddersfield made inquiries with South Sydney officials to lure the hooker to England on a two-year deal.
The Rabbitohs informed Cook’s manager, Mario Tartak, that they likely would not offer him an extension beyond 2025 and would not oppose if he secured a longer deal in England or another NRL club.
The Dragons have since been in discussions with Tartak about Cook’s future. They had also considered Jeremy Marshall-King for next season, but he chose to stay with the Dolphins.
Cook, who turns 33 later this month, has had a challenging start to the season and was briefly dropped by former coach Jason Demetriou.
The Rabbitohs recently extended back-up hooker Peter Mamouzelos until the end of 2027, seeing him as the club’s future. The Dragons are satisfied with their current hooker, Jacob Liddle, but see him more as a No.14 option than a starting No.9.
As he left Heffron Park on Thursday, Cook stated: “I still have another year to go here, I love this club, they’ve been great to me. We’ve been in a tough position this year, and we’re doing everything we can to get us out of it.
“They [Souths] have been everything. It’s where I’ve started a family, bought a house, all those big moments have been while I’ve been at this great club.
“I’ve made no decision whatsoever. It’s a bit new to me, all this [news]. I don’t want to leave. We’ll get through tomorrow’s game, I’ll speak to my manager next week and see where we are at.
“I’ve had conversations with Wayne. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I’ve appreciated the phone calls we’ve had. He doesn’t give much away, Wayne. He’s a good listener.”
