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Player Damien Cook

Sonic Star said:
Cook has a lot of fanboys.

They're loyal to him no matter what, will defend him to the death.
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The biggest compliment I can pay Cookie is that I want him part of our club when he retires.

He comes across as a good human being and is a wonderful trainer etc from all reports

But - hes a bog average hooker who is one of the main reasons we didnt win a comp in our window. Thats just my opinion.
 
Cook is the best hooker at the club.

Unfortunately.

Mamo sucks, another goof.
 
daRque said:
What's even more baffling is how easily the Oz and NSW selectors along with opposition coaches have all been fooled for years.
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He had one blizter year. That drove his selection.

If you do a quick google search on historical blues/kangaroo players youll surprise yourself with some names on the list.

For every Danny Buderus there is a Damien Cook
 
Phil Bailey
Ryan Ohara
Michael Weyman
Kade Snowden
Ben Cross
Tom Learoyd Lahrs
Matt Prior
Paul Vaughan
Nathan Brown
Siosifa Talakai
 
Bunny Boy said:
Phil Bailey
Ryan Ohara
Michael Weyman
Kade Snowden
Ben Cross
Tom Learoyd Lahrs
Matt Prior
Paul Vaughan
Nathan Brown
Siosifa Talakai
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Tell me how many of those you have named played multiple years in representative level? You can criticise his performances for us. But don’t try and downplay his rep selections.

While we are at it he was able to perform at that level constantly for many of those games.

Oh and I don’t get this he can’t pass bullshit. When on he has one of the best long cut out passes from dummy half.
 
Kempy said:
Oh and I don’t get this he can’t pass bullshit. When on he has one of the best long cut out passes from dummy half.
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Queue the “crash ball” histrionics. Totally ignoring that every team does it and every team totally screws it up for exactly the same reasons but hey! It’s all cook😆😆
 
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Bunny Boy said:
He had one blizter year. That drove his selection.

If you do a quick google search on historical blues/kangaroo players youll surprise yourself with some names on the list.

For every Danny Buderus there is a Damien Cook
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He was the Bradbury of hookers.

Has plenty of pace, but is not a team player. Plays like an under 6, and tries to run around everyone. His one and only break this year, just after halftime against Bulldogs, resulted in nothing. Bombed another one.

Mamo made a similar break in reserve grade that day, drew the fb and we scored under the posts.
 
captainsutto said:
Queue the “crash ball” histrionics. Totally ignoring that every team does it and every team who totally screws it up for exactly the same reasons but hey! It’s all cook😆😆
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Pete threw as many against the Sharks did the Cook agenda gang speak up no they were quiet! It’s apart of our game plan and Grant throws as many crash balls.

I agree with Kempy Cook long passing game is fast and crisp.
 
captainsutto said:
Queue the “crash ball” histrionics. Totally ignoring that every team does it and every team who totally screws it up for exactly the same reasons but hey! It’s all cook😆😆
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****ing hate the crash ball...but completely agree that every team does it with variable results.

I think the Cook hate has not only jumped the shark, but has gone around again to ensure that the cameras got the shot!

He was selected for NSW and Australia multiple times, not because of some fluke but because he was the best / top 2 hookers in the game.

There is also no doubt that he has come back to the field a lot in the last couple of years.

And it's also true that he doesn't handle being behind a dominated pack. But very few hookers handle that well.

His biggest issue is that he doesn't have a "plan b" and can sometimes get flustered.

We will need to manage his transition over the next 18 months or so, giving Pete more time in 1st grade.

(and while I'm here I remain to be convinced that Pete is the best option for us at 9 - but that's who we've got at the moment).

Having Cook at 14 this week makes sense, as the Melbourne forwards tend to tire (more than other packs) towards the back ends of halves. If he can get some quick PTB's he could carve them up.
 
Just a couple of points about the Cook debate.

When Cook plays Origin, he is surrounded by the best players in the game in the other spine positions. Whatever weakness he may have at NRL level won't matter at rep level, where his strengths can be used by the rest of the spine eg his running game works a treat in putting the defence in two minds and giving space to others. He also defends well and at his peak was an 80-minute player.

At NRL level in our spine, it is another matter. If Lattrell and Walker are on top of their game, Cook can be as useful as he is at rep level. When the full-back and five-eight are off their game, Cook has nothing in his own kit bag to make up for it - he has no guile, his decision-making is ordinary, and he does not bring his forwards onto the ball as well as others. He is also getting older, so he now is no longer an 80-minute player.

Also, the value on the cap is a huge issue. Cook would be on about $750K - I reckon Mamo is on no more than $200-250K. If Cook is a better player, the question is whether it is worth the impact on the cap. IMO it is not. I'd rather that differential be used towards signing the next elite half-back coming through.
 
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