Tenacious is probably the best way to describe Damien Cook. For the past two seasons he has started the year as a bench utility, and in both instances he has cemented a starting position at hooker by the end of the year.
Despite Robbie Farah holding the No. 9 jersey for most of the season, Cook continued to provide impact off the bench, creating numerous tries and linebreaks off the back of his dynamic dummy-half running, which eventually saw him make the starting jersey his own, proving himself to be a strong member in the spine alongside Alex Johnston, Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds.
His most impressive performance would be in the final match of the year against the Parramatta Eels, where the Helensburgh junior found himself in the fullback position, where he did not disappoint, running 165 metres, creating a linebreak, setting up a try and breaking six tackles in the Rabbitohs’ narrow loss.
The fleet-footed beach runner from the south coast not only proved his value in 2017 through his dynamic play but also through his versatility, and his experience he gained will be invaluable for future seasons to come.
2017 Stats
Games Played: 23
Minutes Played: 1076 (Avg. 47pg)
Tries: 2
Tackles Made: 549 (Avg. 24pg)
All Runs Made: 146 (Avg. 6pg)
All Run Metres: 1362 (Avg. 59pg)
Dummy Half Runs: 79 (Avg. 3pg)
