Castleford Tigers in talks with huge signing as former State of Origin star set to join club

Castleford Tigers are set to land one of the biggest signings in their recent history, after reportedly landing a former State of Origin star.

The Tigers, who rewarded Krystian Mapapalangi with a new deal for his form earlier this week, have apparently attracted another big name from the NRL, with their newest recruit having plenty more representative experience than Mapapalangi.

St George Illawarra Dragons hooker, Damien Cook, will leave the club and the competition at the end of the season, and he is said to join Ryan Carr’s side for 2027, joining on a two-year deal.

The former South Sydney Rabbitohs man is set to make his 250th NRL appearance next week at Magic Round, and as part of an esteemed career down under has featured 17 times for New South Wales in State of Origin and five times for Australia, however none of those came against England.

Cook, who has been at the Dragons since the start of 2025, will be reuiniting with his new head coach, after Carr was an assistant at the club last season before making the move to West Yorkshire.

The news has come from Australian media, with multiple sources claiming that the dynamic number nine will be making a move to Super League, and to the Tigers specifically.

With current Castleford hooker off-contract and out for 12 weeks with a neck injury, Chris Chester has acted fast to get in a top class replacement, and Cook certainly fits that bill.

Commenting on his Dragons and NRL exit, the 34-year-old said: “Captaining the Dragons has been one of the proudest experiences of my career. As a kid from the area, it has meant a lot to me to start and end my NRL journey here.

“My full focus right now is on doing everything I can for this team and this club over the remainder of 2026. I’ve loved my time at the Dragons, and I’m determined to finish it the right way.”

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