Almost 20 players are off contract or become free agents at the end of this year, including Damien Cook and Alex Johnston. Long-serving prop Tom Burgess has already confirmed he will head home to England at the end of the season, while Hawkins, Isaiah Tass, Ben Lovett, Izack Thompson, Taane Milne and Michael Chee Kam are without deals.
Cook, Johnston, Jacob Host, Davvy Moale, Cody Walker, Siliva Havili, Tallis Duncan and Tyrone Munro are all off contract at the end of 2025 and free to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1.
Lachlan Ilias is also off contract at the end of 2025, but he has already been given permission to broker a deal elsewhere. The Bulldogs are in the box seat to secure the halfback.
Busted Bunnies
- Cameron Murray (hip-flexor)
- Lachie Ilias (leg)
- Campbell Graham (sternum)
- Taane Milne (suspended)
- Alex Johnston (hamstring)
- Tyrone Munro (collarbone)
- Jacob Gagai (calf)
- Haizyn Mellars (hamstring)
- Shaq Mitchell (calf)
- Junior Tatola (foot)
- Richie Kennar (foot)
- Ben Lovett (knee)
- Dean Hawkins (quad)
- Jye Gray (ankle)
- Leon Te Hau (heart)
- Jacob Host (suspended)
Cook turns 33 next month and said the uncertainty about the coach would naturally leave some of the playing group feeling on edge about their future. He was keen to work with Bennett again.
“I’m closer to the end than I am to the beginning, so for me, it’s about enjoying each week and every moment – that was my goal at the start of the year,” Cook said.
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“I want to keep playing here, for sure. I’ve got this year and next year, but I want to play for as long as I can. There are a lot of young boys off contract. We need to make sure we do the right thing by them and continue to work hard and play good footy, which puts us all in the right position to look after everyone’s future.”
Cook said of Bennett: “He’s done it before, and we’ve seen what he’s done when he was here – we went to a couple of prelims and a grand final where we just fell short [in 2021 when they lost 14-12 to the Panthers]. He’s the best coach ever in the game for a reason. If he comes back, the club will sort that out.
“In the meantime, we have full faith in Benny Hornby. He knows us so well, he’s been an assistant for a long time, he knows what makes us tick, and we have a lot of respect for him. He’ll lead us in the right direction.”
At least Souths welcome back Latrell Mitchell from suspension for the clash with the Dragons, Cook admitting: “We need him, we have a lot of injuries, and Trelly coming back will be a massive boost for what we need at the moment. Latrell is who he is, he’s like your ‘Turbo’ [Tom Trbojevic] at Manly. I hope fans saw the positives against Penrith, especially in the first half when we lost some guys in key positions. We are working hard for each other and want to do the jersey proud.”
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