State of Origin 2018: NSW hooker Damien Cook reveals the secret of his speed — nippers
HE was the fastest 15-year-old in Australia on sand. And on Sunday, NSW hooker Damien Cook will use that terrifying burst of speed to tear into Queensland in Origin II.
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HE was the fastest 15-year-old in Australia on sand.
And in Origin I he made Queensland feel like they were trying to run in quicksand.
On Tuesday, NSW hooker Damien Cook tried hard to smother his achievements as a beach sprinter — but his former surf cub was too proud to hide any success.
It all started on Stanwell Park Beach as a nipper and could end in Queensland’s demise this Sunday night at ANZ Stadium.
Cook’s electric speed was nurtured at Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Club, near Wollongong, where he chased beach flags over 20m.
The South Sydney rake competed in state and national titles, winning the Australian crown as a 15-year-old.
“Damien went through nippers until he was 14,” Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Club president Steve McDonald said.
“When he was in the under-15s, he won the Australian beach flag championship. He was the quickest 15-year-old over 20m on the beach in Australia.
“His old man, Graham, was a nipper and a surfboat rower. He followed his brother Simon through nippers, as did his sister, Lauren.
“After that, rugby league took over. Even though we are a summer sport and league is a winter sport, he concentrated on league.
“We had that expectation that Damien would get up and go because that’s what he had to do for beach flags. And he was able to do that.
“And we are seeing more and more of that now he is allowed to run in the game.
“We’re starting to see that beach flag influence come out.”
Has there been a quicker hooker over 20m than Cook, who is primed to explode again on Sunday evening?
“I try and let those days go under the radar but I was with Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Club,” Cook said.
“It was something I really enjoyed growing up as a kid, living on the coast. I loved my nippers back then.
“I have been asked if what happened back then has now related to my footy and I think it did. It was over 20m.
“Practising that speed over that distance is really important for a hooker, especially for my style of play. It is one of my strengths, so I try to keep working on my speed.
“Little blokes on the field lack a little in size and cop a bit in defence. But we try and give it back in our attack.”
Cook was reluctant to talk up his stellar results on the beach.
“I went all right,’’ he said. “We went to a couple of state titles.
“They were always good to go to and compete against the other good kids. For a couple of years, I went all right.
“It’s something I miss, that individual competition. It is probably something I will go back to one day, whether it’s myself or if I ever have kids. I will definitely take them down there.”
Cook doesn’t know how quick he is now.
“Funny thing is, people ask how fast footballers run over a certain distance but we don’t get timed,” he said.
“We practise it, as a team we always practice our speed, but we have never been timed over that distance.”