Damien Cook's message to Ben Hunt as captain linked with immediate exit from Dragons
Cook revealed playing with Hunt was a major reason he decided to join the Dragons.
Dragons recruit Damien Cook has urged Ben Hunt to not quit the club as the hooker revealed the skipper was a large reason for him joining the club. Cook will captain Australia's Prime Minister's XIII against PNG in Port Moresby on Sunday before turning his focus to his future at the Dragons.
Cook made his NRL debut for the Dragons in 2013, playing two games before embarking on a short stint at the Bulldogs - seven games - and then making Redfern his home, featuring in 207 games for the Rabbitohs. But the 33-year-old believes he still has a few years left at the top level and will return to St George Illawarra for at least the next two years in an attempt to clinch his first NRL premiership.
Shane Flanagan enjoyed a mostly successful first year in charge of the Red V but after bombing out of the NRL finals he's made no secret of his desire to add further strike power to his roster. Joining Cook at the club next season is boom centre Valentine Holmes, while the club is also in talks with Josh Addo-Carr and Clint Gutherson.
But despite the club seemingly heading in the right direction, the future of captain and star halfback Hunt is anything but clear. The Maroons and Kangaroos player is off-contract at the end of 2025 and has been linked with a return to Queensland to finish his career. There have also been reports that the relationship between Hunt and Flanagan is at the point of no return following a brutal end-of-season review.
But Cook says that is news to him and hopes he will remain at the Red V. While the hooker also shut down suggestions that Hunt is set to relinquish his captaincy to the new recruit. "I don't think that's going to be the case at all (Hunt to step down as captain)," Cook told SEN.
"Benny Hunt is a big reason why I'm going down there, to have him as my halfback. He is a great leader and is a big reason as to why they have been so competitive and he steers those young boys around the park so well. He's a leader and I am looking forward to getting down there and playing under him."
Damien Cook hopes Clint Gutherson joins him at the Dragons
On Thursday Parramatta granted club veteran Gutherson permission to speak with rival clubs, as the Eels informed their captain they wouldn't necessarily be offering him a contract extension. It was news that would have undoubtedly pricked the ears of Flanagan, who has voiced his desire to bring him in as the Dragons fullback in 2025.
The Eels had previously made it clear they want to play Gutherson in a roaming role in the forwards - likely either as a hooker or lock. And unsure of how that experiment will go, Parramatta have stalled on deciding whether to offer him a new contract beyond next year.
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The Eels veteran will become a free agent on November 1, with his deal ending next year, but Parramatta have given him permission to talk to clubs immediately, with the Dragons instantly flagged as a likely destination. And Cook has given his tick of approval to the move, stating he would be a massive addition to the team.
"I might send him a message. It would be great to have him down there," Cook told SEN. "There is a number of positions he can play. And just even around the team he provides so much value and he knows how to bring a team together really well. "
