Damien Cook says he was "filthy" after St George Illawarra backflipped on a 2027 extension offer that had him days away from another year at the club before the Dragons' shift in direction left him chasing a new deal. The 34-year-old, who is now headed to Castleford Tigers on a two-year deal, said the call changed everything.

Cook was speaking ahead of his 250th NRL game against the Panthers in Magic Round, a milestone that arrived with his future already settled. He said the club had been ready to keep him for another season before pausing all contract talks during its winless start to the season, and then reversing course after Shane Flanagan was sacked and Dean Young took over as interim coach with a youth mantra.

That change, Cook said, made clear he was no longer part of the Dragons' long-term plans. He said recruitment told him the club was looking for a couple of younger hookers, and after asking more than once and getting the same answer, he told his manager they would have to look elsewhere. Ryan Carr, now coaching Castleford and once an assistant and interim boss at the Dragons, then reached out.

"Definitely in a way, because it obviously involved me," Cook said of the backflip. "When you feel like you give so much to them, when those sorts of things happen, it can hurt a bit." He added that while he respected the business side, it still left him with "a tough couple of weeks" and left him angry at how it unfolded.

The Dragons' decision came after they had initially appeared set to keep him for another season, only to pull back as the club looked to a younger group under Young. Cook said he understood the logic, but not the timing. "I obviously wanted to stay – you’d love to stay here," he said. "But the decision’s been made now and I’m actually really excited about it. I’m happy that the future’s been sorted and I can really rip in and do whatever I can to make sure this club finishes off the season well."

Cook is ending his NRL career at the end of the season and moving to England with his family, closing the door on a stay that seemed set to continue until the Dragons changed tack. What began as a one-year extension offer for 2027 instead ended with a clean break, a Super League contract and a final run to the finish line in Sydney.