South Sydney and Australian hooker Damien Cook pauses contract negotiations
THE coaching chaos which has engulfed the NRL has led Test hooker Damien Cook to pause his contract talks with South Sydney.
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THE coaching chaos which has engulfed the NRL has led to Test hooker Damien Cook pressing pause on his contract talks with South Sydney.
In the wake of the greatest season of his career, Cook is yet to strike a deal with the Rabbitohs beyond 2019.
Making a successful State of Origin debut with NSW and recent Test debut with the Kangaroos, Cook, 27, is taking is a shrewd approach to the most significant contract of his career.
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Free to negotiate with rival clubs, Cook’s manager Mario Tartak said his client’s priority was to remain at Souths.
But he added the coaching changes of Anthony Seibold to Brisbane and Wayne Bennett to the Rabbitohs needed to be factored into any decision.
“We are talking to Souths at the moment, but in saying that, with all this coaching merry-go-round we’ve taken a step back to see how it unfolds,’’ Tartak said
“Damien has also been getting ready for a wedding, so there’s a lot on his plate at the moment.
“Does he want to say at Souths? It’s probably the first time that Cookie can test the market as a player, so we’re not in a rush.
“We do have a few clubs inquiring.
“We’re just taking our time and making sure that he’s going to be in a team which is the right fit for him as well.
“Everyone has stalled, it’s not just us.
“We know that Souths are very keen to keep him and it’s just been a work in progress.’’
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