Damien Cook

[56to66]

Bring Ben Hornby with you as an assistant coach, he is looking good as a future NRL head coach.
Hopefully, dean young will get the Eels, job.

 

[the garage]

If fit and healthy good signing.
Speed, good attacking kicking & passing game out of dummy half.

The modern game demands a quality attacking dummy half, look at all the top teams of last 10 years and analyse the attacking contributions of their dummy halves, just as important as their halves or fullback.

5 meters gained at the play the ball sets up whole attacking momentum and a quality kicking and passing game especially close to the opponents try line is a fundamental part of a modern winning team.

 

[since77]

Bring Ben Hornby with you as an assistant coach, he is looking good as a future NRL head coach.
Hopefully, dean young will get the Eels, job.

Always makes me sad to see Ben wearing the colours of another team. Early days but he might even be showing signs that he can coach......

 

[56to66]

Always makes me sad to see Ben wearing the colours of another team. Early days but he might even be showing signs that he can coach......

I remember quite clearly at the pressers with Wayne, captain Ben had a very similar demeanor to the super coach, very few words but every word spoken carried weight. Back then I thought captain Ben, had the makings of a good coach, his stats so far seems pretty impressive.T Baz has had 3 chances only too fall short on each occasion.

 

[Trifili13]

Although I am being sarcastic but I can just see it now: people on here call for Hornby to be our next coach, Hornby loses first game in charge, Dragon's forum blows up how the Board appointed another Illawarra old boy.

By all means let him gain experience coaching somewhere else, preferably as the head coach and all that it involves managing a team, having an input into recruitment, dealing with a board and the press and have a level of success before we appoint him.

 

[yobbo84]

Cook will be great for you blokes. Uber professional, super fit, great club man. Plays 80mins week in, week out, barely gets injured, I don't remember him ever being suspended. Probably has a good 2 years left in him.

He tears up clubs down the bottom of the ladder but has sometimes struggled when it comes to big club matches. Strangely does well in rep matches though. A lot like Ben Hunt in that regard.

I would've liked him to stay another year, but without a sombrero we can't fit em all, and we've got other positions where we're in more dire straits.

The most benefit you'll get from Damien will be off the field - he'll show your younger kids the professionalism it takes to reach their potential.

 

[Wolfgang90]

Cook will be great for you blokes. Uber professional, super fit, great club man. Plays 80mins week in, week out, barely gets injured, I don't remember him ever being suspended. Probably has a good 2 years left in him.

He tears up clubs down the bottom of the ladder but has sometimes struggled when it comes to big club matches. Strangely does well in rep matches though. A lot like Ben Hunt in that regard.

I would've liked him to stay another year, but without a sombrero we can't fit em all, and we've got other positions where we're in more dire straits.

The most benefit you'll get from Damien will be off the field - he'll show your younger kids the professionalism it takes to reach their potential.

Cheers for the insight Yobbo. Sounds like exactly someone who'll benefit this club

 

[Victoire]

Cook will be great for you blokes. Uber professional, super fit, great club man. Plays 80mins week in, week out, barely gets injured, I don't remember him ever being suspended. Probably has a good 2 years left in him.

He tears up clubs down the bottom of the ladder but has sometimes struggled when it comes to big club matches. Strangely does well in rep matches though. A lot like Ben Hunt in that regard.

I would've liked him to stay another year, but without a sombrero we can't fit em all, and we've got other positions where we're in more dire straits.

The most benefit you'll get from Damien will be off the field - he'll show your younger kids the professionalism it takes to reach their potential.

Yeah if Flanno's trying to replicate his 2016 model then it fits the Mick Ennis type player rather well. Although Cook is a couple of years older than Ennis was, he also started his NRL career at an age a few years older than Ennis was too. However re: the big games I recall him being sensational in the 2021 prelim final.

I guess after the Volkman fiasco we're waiting for the original documents to be certified by a team of JP's and notary publics before the news is officially announced?

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Bring Ben Hornby with you as an assistant coach, he is looking good as a future NRL head coach.
Hopefully, dean young will get the Eels, job.

Ben is a quiet achiever but has a good analytical eye. His shift of Cody Walker into half and Wighton to 5/8 has been a masterstroke and probably the main reason Souths are on a winning streak. I'm on board with Flanno- mostly- although don't share his enthusiastic support for Hunt as our half-back for another two years - and to a lesser extent Cook-although I saw more skills from Cook on the weekend than I've seen in the past. Poor old Ben was always going to struggle for a Head Coach job with us due to his lack of family connection to SGI and now he's run into Bennett-again!-poor bugger. I hope he finds a gig in the future but he may have to move to the ESL first like so many others before him.

 

[Mojo]

I’ve always had a grudging respect for Souths and Cook has always been a standout amongst their squad in my estimation. Reminds me of Dennis Pittard (remember him?) for some reason. Similar kind of guy I reckon.

Imagine if we‘d picked up Reynolds too a couple of years ago.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

I like Cook and am looking forward to his arrival at SGI. In the meantime however he needs to stop publicly bemoaning the fact he has had to make the choice to leave South's to join SGI. The deal is done (I believe) so accept it, stop sooking and look forward with excitement for what you can offer your new club!

 

[Dragon David]

I like Cook and am looking forward to his arrival at SGI. In the meantime however he needs to stop publicly bemoaning the fact he has had to make the choice to leave South's to join SGI. The deal is done (I believe) so accept it, stop sooking and look forward with excitement for what you can offer your new club!

Yes, we don't need another sook at the club OED. It would have been nice to hear him say that he was really happy to be joining a great club as the Dragons. I am envisaging him saying this though once his signing is confirmed on the Dragon's website.

 

[TruSaint]

I like Cook and am looking forward to his arrival at SGI. In the meantime however he needs to stop publicly bemoaning the fact he has had to make the choice to leave South's to join SGI. The deal is done (I believe) so accept it, stop sooking and look forward with excitement for what you can offer your new club!

I get what your saying, but I have only seen one quote / vid from him saying he wanted to stay and he felt Souths was his home and that was prior to the announcement.

Based on that comment, I get it.
He has been there for 9 years, played nearly 200 games and his family is settled.

Unless there has been other media comments that I have missed. As many have said, he is renowned as being a professional and it would be a poor look to say to any journo prior to an official announcement, that he is looking forward to coming back to Saints. Heck we have senior players that dont wanna be here and have made it public.

Im confident he will do well with us.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

"All things are going well. I am really excited that Jaydn is extended with the club and we have got Cooky coming on board." Ben Hunt interview today

for anyone doubting until we see it in print re Cooky

on the with the show !!!!!

 

[TheRev]

Cooky actually admitted he was a bit excited about the change in a subsequent quote.. hes saying what he has to say, hes still got to front up in a souths jersey all year yet.

Its really more that Journos are a bit obsessed with the story.

Have to admit it was nice to finally see Gus shocked that the rabbits let him go.. not often we get a player Gus would have wanted.

 

[SnowDragon]

Cook official
The Dragons are proud to announce the signing of Damien Cook for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

A Helensburgh Tigers junior, Cook made his NRL debut for the Dragons in 2013, playing two NRL games.

The 32-year-old has since spent two seasons with the Bulldogs and nine with the Rabbitohs, playing a total of 205 NRL games to date and establishing himself as one of the finest No.9s of the modern era. He has also featured in 17 Origins for NSW and four Tests for Australia.

“It’s wonderful to have a player of Damien’s calibre return to our club,” said Dragons head coach Shane Flanagan.

“His qualities as a footballer and person are top class and he adds plenty of experience and strike to our roster over the coming seasons.”

 

[TruSaint]

Cook official
The Dragons are proud to announce the signing of Damien Cook for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

A Helensburgh Tigers junior, Cook made his NRL debut for the Dragons in 2013, playing two NRL games.

The 32-year-old has since spent two seasons with the Bulldogs and nine with the Rabbitohs, playing a total of 205 NRL games to date and establishing himself as one of the finest No.9s of the modern era. He has also featured in 17 Origins for NSW and four Tests for Australia.

“It’s wonderful to have a player of Damien’s calibre return to our club,” said Dragons head coach Shane Flanagan.

“His qualities as a footballer and person are top class and he adds plenty of experience and strike to our roster over the coming seasons.”
View attachment 90072

Welcome back Cooky. Rip in son.

 

[SAP58]

Cook official
The Dragons are proud to announce the signing of Damien Cook for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

A Helensburgh Tigers junior, Cook made his NRL debut for the Dragons in 2013, playing two NRL games.

The 32-year-old has since spent two seasons with the Bulldogs and nine with the Rabbitohs, playing a total of 205 NRL games to date and establishing himself as one of the finest No.9s of the modern era. He has also featured in 17 Origins for NSW and four Tests for Australia.

“It’s wonderful to have a player of Damien’s calibre return to our club,” said Dragons head coach Shane Flanagan.

“His qualities as a footballer and person are top class and he adds plenty of experience and strike to our roster over the coming seasons.”
View attachment 90072

I recon it’s a great signing, yes towards the end of his career but still has a lot to offer. A great player & a better bloke which will be immence for us off the field as well as on the field. Well done Flanno.

 

[Lennyb]

Some people would say he is over the hill.

Maybe Flanno can get him the 9 blues jumper next year.

 

[Dragon David]

Dragons sign Damien Cook for two years

The Dragons are proud to announce the signing of Damien Cook for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

www.dragons.com.au

"All things are going well. I am really excited that Jaydn is extended with the club and we have got Cooky coming on board." Ben Hunt interview today

for anyone doubting until we see it in print re Cooky

on the with the show !!!!!

Hunt able to say that about Cook today seeing that it has been confirmed. So yes, on with the show as you say Auntie.