Three more: Cook may be star to break Rabbitohs signing rule

South Sydney may be willing to bend their usual hard-and-fast three-year signing rule for star hooker Damien Cook, The Sporting Base has heard, following the club’s disastrous split with Adam Reynolds over similar issues. The 31-year-old rake has already approached Rabbitohs powerbrokers over a possible extension.

The Rabbitohs bosses now have a big decision on their hands.

Cook is still signed with the club for this year and next and is earning around $700,000 a season for his services in the number nine jumper.  He hits the open NRL market in November, however, in preparation for a 2024 deal, and may walk—à la Adam Reynolds—if he can find a longer deal somewhere else.

The State of Origin star’s preference though is to stay in the cardinal and myrtle until the end of his career. The club knows this too and considering the shortage of bonafide number nines available at the moment, may be willing to break their over-30s rule.

In the Reynolds saga, the Bunnies put their foot down because he was ‘the wrong side’ of 30.

The decision has since been branded “the biggest recruitment blunders in recent memory” by NRL media and while Souths are happy with young replacement halfback Lachlan Ilias, coming to the table with Reynolds looks to have been the better play.

This time around, the Rabbitohs are more likely to bend for one of their spine players.

Things aren’t as simple as ponying up the cash for Cook though. The Bunnies do have Peter Mamouzelos, 21, waiting in the wings similar to Ilias. Jason Demetriou does like the young gun hooker, who is currently playing in the club’s Jersey Flegg Cup, but is wary of plugging two youngsters into the team’s beating heart too early.

More likely is the Bunnies will look to bring Cook down a little in his asking. He wants to stay at the club until the end of the 2026 NRL season via a three-year extension, but Souths prefer something closer to a 2024 and 2025 deal with a little less cash.

Souths do have time on their hands too—Cook won’t be able to talk to other suitors until November. At the moment the Dragons (where Cook debuted), Cowboys, and Tigers will be chasing number nines.

On the player’s own front, Cook believes he still has plenty of petrol left in the tank. The star just recently celebrated his 31st birthday in June, but rugby league has seen rakes play on far into their 30s more and more in recent seasons.

Cook believes he can join that club, at Souths or elsewhere.

“I do feel quite fresh and it’s probably because of the late start,” Cook said.

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“Also the transition of playing a lot of reserve grade where my body was able to adapt to playing a lot against men when I was young,” the South Sydney star continued. “I haven’t been beaten up in first grade since I was 18 and—touch wood—have had no serious injuries in my career. I’m feeling really good and would love to finish my career at South Sydney.”

The Souths star has been named to play for the Blues in the 2022 State of Origin decider this month. He has played 14 games of Origin since 2018 and four times pulled on the Aussie green and gold.

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