Dane Gagai denies he plans to quit Souths over positional switch

Don’t believe the hype — that was the message coming out of Rabbitohs training on Wednesday, as the club sought to play down The Daily Telegraph’s story that star centre Dane Gagai wants out of Redfern.

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Dane Gagai was the last player onto the training paddock at Redfern Oval on Wednesday.

The Maroons star emerged eventually, left arm heavily strapped, after spending a tense morning trying to convince teammates he was committed to South Sydney.

Hooker Damien Cook was one of his first teammates to approach him about The Daily Telegraph’s report.

“I read it a bit and he was actually the first person I saw this morning and I asked him ‘There’s no truth behind it, is there?’ and he said ‘No, definitely not’,” Cook said.

James Roberts and Dane Gagai talk during Rabbitohs training. Image: Phil Hillyard

Gagai trained out on the right edge but not in the position he desperately wants to play in.

The 28-year old has had to give up his place at centre to new recruit James Roberts. Bennett’s decision to sign Roberts from Brisbane has essentially consigned Gagai to the wing.

The Rabbitohs went into damage control and released a statement assuring fans that Gagai wasn’t on the way out.

“He has reiterated that his preferred position is centre, which he has said to me previously, however he is happy to play on the wing, or in fact any position in which the team needs him to play,” Bennett said in the statement.

“He is committed to the club, he loves playing here, and he has no intention of leaving the club over the next few years as per his contract.”

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Cook was singing from the same hymn sheet on Wednesday morning to a packed media contingent at Redfern Oval.

“I know he loves playing here. I know that he, truthfully, loves playing in the centre position that’s his preferred position but he loves doing his job for the [team] and he’s a great winger and that’s what he’ll do this weekend,” Cook said.

The NSW Blues hooker was quick to shut down any suggestion that the story would destabilise the playing group.

Nothing to see here, according to Damien Cook. Image: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

“It probably brings us a bit closer together,” Cook said.

“We are coming off two losses in a row, and we never like to lose two in a row here at this club. So, that’s where our main focus is going, towards Penrith [on Saturday]. We have to show up because we don’t want to go three losses in a row.”

Injured skipper Sam Burgess was a keen observer at training on Wednesday. Burgess went under the knife to fix a shoulder complaint on Saturday and will be out for at least five weeks. Halfback Adam Reynolds is also sidelined indefinitely with a fractured back.