Adam Cook, Kai O’Donnell signs with Mackay Cutters after Canberra Raiders release

The Cutters have signed two former Raiders after the pair was released by Canberra ahead of the NRL bubble being enforced.

Adam Cook will play for Mackay Cutters after being released by Canberra Raiders

Help is on the way for the Cutters after the side suffered another loss to Norths Devils in Dysart.

Adam Cook and Kai O’Donnell have made the trip from Canberra to Mackay after the Raiders excluded the pair from the NRL’s bubble.

Cutters coach Michael Crawley said he was ecstatic to secure the North Queensland natives.

“They’re very much the same as the boys we’ve got, 20 and 21 years old, but what they have got is one or two seasons being with NRL teams and the full training and professionalism of that,” Crawley said.

“I’m hoping they can help us with all the little things in a game, but the 18 players we took to Dysart were our only fit 18 players so we’re in desperate need of some troops and they definitely fit the bill.”

Both O’Donnell and Cook made their NRL debuts for the Raiders in 2020, with O’Donnell featuring four times and Cook just once.

Kai O'Donnell will make his Mackay Cutters debut against PNG Hunters after being released from Canberra Raiders. Photo by Mark Kolbe

The Raiders granted the early releases with the club only allowed to take 30 players into the NRL hub, and with the NSW Cup postponed, returning to Queensland provided the pair an opportunity to continue playing football.

“Both are North Queensland boys; Kai is from Airlie Beach and Adam is from Charters Towers, so they were keen to come back home if they had to leave their NRL club,” Crawley said.

“It happened in two days, and the boys were packed and in their car, but that’s how fluid football is these days.”

The signings will slot into the starting line-up against PNG Hunters, with Cook set to play either fullback or halfback, while O’Donnell will start in the second row.

Crawley said O’Donnell and Cook were excited to get involved.

“Both of the boys called me and told me they wanted to play last week against the Devils,” he said.

“I didn’t think it would be fair on them to travel up, then travel again to Dysart without any training sessions with the rest of the squad, but they’ll get a full week’s training ahead of PNG.”