Damien Cook breaks silence on Castleford move with emphatic statement

Damien Cook insists he is giving no thought to walking away from his Castleford Tigers move despite the exit of Ryan Carr.

Cook is one of three St George-Illawarra Dragons players who have agreed to make the move to England in 2027, alongside Tyrell Sloan and Mat Feagai.

However, Sloan has spoken frequently about his lack of clarity over the move and whether or not Carr’s exit has complicated his position in terms of a switch to Super League. Feagai has also made tentative noises about ‘uncertainty’.

But Cook, the most senior of the trio, has now given his side.

Cook ‘committed’ to Castleford move

Speaking to AAP in advance of the Dragons’ game with Manly Sea Eagles this weekend, Cook has stressed that he has given no thought to backing out of the move to England under any circumstances.

And he has promised that he remains excited about the chance to play overseas and experience a new culture and competition with his young family – and Carr’s departure has not changed his view.

“I’ll be over there,” he insisted.

“I’ve had the conversations with my wife and my kids and obviously it’s a big move for them as well. But once I had them on board we’ve really been focused on that. I’m committed to that.

“This great game has given me a lot, and it’s just another thing that’s going to give me a chance to go overseas, play footy over there and show the kids the world.”

Cook reveals Carr conversations

The veteran hooker has also admitted that he has spoken with Carr since his exit from Castleford to check on him – but insists he did not want to meddle with the situation at the Tigers given its complexities.

“I told them how I felt about him, and obviously I spoke to the owner of the club and the general manager as well,” he said.

“I didn’t want to get too involved because I didn’t want it to take away from just enjoying my time here. There’s nothing I can do from over here.”

Cook continued by admitting Carr was ‘hurting’ over his exit – but backed him to make a swift return to coaching in either the NRL or Super League in 2027.

He said: “He’s put a lot of effort into that and no doubt he’s hurting. He’s a very passionate person and obviously a big reason why we went there.

“He’s got some good recruits, but I’m not sure exactly what he’s got planned. No doubt he’ll find something. I really loved him as a coach and that’s obviously a reason why I was connecting with him over there.”