Dragons enforcer Tyson Frizell says he’s spent his life chasing after childhood mate Damien Cook
SPARE a thought for St George Illawarra forward Tyson Frizell, who’s been trying to halt speedy dummy-half Damien Cook ever since they were kids.
Dragons
Don't miss out on the headlines from Dragons. Followed categories will be added to My News.
HOW do you stop South Sydney hooker Damien Cook in full flight?
That’s the question teams have been grappling with all season.
So spare a thought for St George Illawarra forward Tyson Frizell, who’s been trying to halt the speedy dummy-half since they were kids.
“I’ve been playing against Cookie since I was five years old and I still can’t get my hands on him whenever I play him, so there’s not much you can do to stop Cookie,” Frizell said.
He’s not kidding. Here’s the photo evidence backing up the claim — that he mostly ends up clutching at thin air as Cook zips past him.
SPORT CON: Turbo says Manly can’t waste anymore time
NOT HAPPY: Annesley blasts ‘insulting’ Peachey
JOHNS: Attacking with an underdog mentality
Ahead of tonight’s semi-final between Rabbitohs and Dragons, Frizell admits that while putting a target on Cook hasn’t worked out, he knows there is one way to minimise his impact.
“We need to take care of their whole forward pack. The Burgess twins have been really good for them and laying a good platform for Cookie from dummy half to run amok,” he said.
“You just have to stop those forwards because and then that limits his opportunities.”
Frizell says his fellow big men will take a leaf of Craig Bellamy’s tactical book tonight when they take on South Sydney for a place in the preliminary finals.
Melbourne forward Felise Kaufusi targeted Rabbitohs enforcer Sam Burgess to great effect in week one of the finals series. His bone-jarring tackles unsettled Burgess but Frizell says his forward teammates must contain all three Burgess brothers if they are to progress into next week.
“It’s going to be a big forward battle for us this week and I think Melbourne won on that day and that’s what gave them the result,” he said.
“If we can be just as good as Melbourne’s forwards were that night then we can cause an upset.”
Nick Campton and Tim Williams preview each of the finals match ups for this weekend and review the hell out of a couple more teams
With a line already through Paul McGregor’s side even before a single minute of finals footy had been played, the Dragons crushed Brisbane 48-18 at Suncorp Stadium last weekend.
It was described as an ambush but Frizell revealed it had more to do with the sudden realisation that their season could be over in 80 minutes.
“If we didn’t leave it all out there we’d be on Mad Monday and that’s our season gone,” he said.
“We’d put in so much hard work throughout the year and put ourselves in a top four position and it was slowly slipping away, we weren’t ready our season to finish.”
The New South Wales backrower says his teammates don’t need an added incentive to step-up in a semi-final but would find extra motivation playing for the likes of veteran winger Jason Nightingale and Gareth Widdop, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
“It’s very sad for Gaz. He’s our captain, he’s done so much for us to be able to be in this position and to play finals footy,” he said.
“To miss out now, it will be very hard for him to sit back and watch us play and not be a part of it. These things happen in footy.
“There’s also Vaughany [Paul Vaughan] he’s out for the season and Jason Nightingale [elbow]. Even though they aren’t playing there are 100 per cent part of the team.”
Originally published as Dragons enforcer Tyson Frizell says he’s spent his life chasing after childhood mate Damien Cook
Maroons’ raiders flood SG Ball, Harold Matthews junior reps
Who were the Maroons’ raiders embedded deep in enemy territory playing in the SG Ball and Harold Matthews competitions? Revealed here, along with Queensland’s best female teens at Sydney clubs.
‘Buy of the year’: Gutho shines for Dragons in Manly showdown
Check out DAVID RICCIO’s report and video from the pre-season scrimmage between the Dragons and Manly, with St George Illawarra’s new-look spine impressing and Manly unearthing a hard-hitting hooker.