In light of his impending departure to the St George-Illawarra Dragons for the upcoming season, Damien Cook has publicly expressed his profound regret and annoyance at the Rabbitohs’ denial of his request for a contract extension. This effectively ends his nine-year relationship with the team.

Cook discussed the emotional toll of breaking the news to his teammates in an open interview with The Daily Telegraph, calling it “probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in football.”

He said that he was surprised that his management, rather than the team itself, had informed him of the decision to not prolong his stay at the Rabbitohs.

Cook asked new South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett for explanation and guidance, and Bennett backed his choice to put his family’s needs first. Cook said, “He wasn’t attempting to push me out.” “Wayne told me to do what’s best for me and my family.”

In 2014, Cook will play two games back with the Dragons, where he made his professional debut in 2013. He then signed a two-year contract to play for the Bulldogs. Since 2016, he has been a Rabbitoh.

Even though Cook is happy about his upcoming move and feels resolved today, he is still determined to complete his Souths career well under Ben Hornby, the interim coach.

“There’s no doubt we can go on a run when all our players are back,” he stated.

“[Hornby] is performing admirably. There’s still a lot of football to play, and I want to enjoy my final few months at the club and end on a positive note.”