Helensburgh Tigers Damien Cook out to end St George Illawarra’s season
DAMIEN Cook is out to destroy the club that helped keep alive his NRL dream when he runs out against St George Illawarra on Saturday night.
DAMIEN Cook is out to destroy the club that helped keep his NRL dram alive.
The star South Sydney hooker and possible Dally M winner will help lead the charge for the Rabbitohs in their sudden-death clash with St George Illawarra on Saturday night, five years after a stint with the Dragons began Cook’s winding journey to the top.
The Helensburgh Tigers product played junior reps with the Steelers before spending two years in the under-20s with Penrith.
SPORT CON: Turbo says Manly can’t waste anymore time
NOT HAPPY: Annesley blasts ‘insulting’ Peachey
JOHNS: Attacking with an underdog mentality
He returned home in 2012 but could only land a part-time deal with the team’s NSW Cup feeder club, the Illawarra Cutters.
“I wasn’t full-time yet and I probably wasn’t ready for full-time,” Cook said.
“I had to improve my game in certain areas and prove I could do that.”
After pulling beers at Helensburgh Tradies to make ends meet, Cook landed a pre-season with the NRL squad for 2013 and his long road to stardom began.
“In 2012, at the end of the year I did a few things right and managed to get a pre-season with the Dragons,’’ he said.
“It’s been a slow start for me but I feel like I’ve taken the right path.”
Cook, now 27, made his NRL debut in 2013 and earned a berth in the NSW Cup team of the year before departing at the end of the season for Canterbury in search of further first grade opportunities.
“My dream was to be a rugby league player and play first-grade footy, and when I got that pre-season the opportunity opened up a bit more,” Cook said.
“I debuted in round six in 2013, and once you have that one game all you want to do is play the next.
“That’s how it’s been ever since. After every game I just want to keep playing.”
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
There are no hard feelings from Cook when it comes to the Dragons.
It will always be the place where he got his start and he still has mates on the team, including his Origin comrades Tariq Sims, Jack de Belin and Tyson Frizell.
Cook will go head-to-head with Cameron McInnes, who is also a mate after they duelled for the starting spot at Souths in 2016.
He will again try to get the jump on McInnes after beating him to the NSW hooking spot this year.
“We’re two very different styles of hookers,” Cook said. “We’re very different.
“We can only worry about our own games on the weekend and just try and play our best game of footy.
“I’ve enjoyed the competition, I enjoyed it here. We had a really healthy competition here and it brought out the best in us.”
Cook’s performance in South Sydney’s most recent match against the Dragons, a 24-10 win to the Rabbitohs in round 10, helped secure his spot for the Blues.
But he said Saturday night would be an entirely new ball game.
“The sides have changed a little bit since then and there has been a lot of football,” Cook said.
Originally published as Helensburgh Tigers Damien Cook out to end St George Illawarra’s season
Luckless Rabbitohs star sidelined as scans confirm injury blow
The Rabbitohs have suffered a massive blow on the eve of the season, with Campbell Graham sidelined indefinitely after scans confirmed another setback for the star centre.
Latrell cleared but Souths star sent for scans
There’s mixed news at South Sydney, with Latrell Mitchell’s return date locked in, but one of his teammates is sweating on scan results.