St George Illawarra Dragons co-captain Damien Cook has endorsed Keaon Koloamatangi as “one of the best props” in the NRL competition as he backs his former teammate as the ideal signing for the Red V.
Taking his game to new heights in 2025, which saw him selected to represent Australia at the 2025 Ashes Series, Koloamatangi is currently mulling his future and remains off-contract at the end of the 2026 NRL season.
Free to negotiate and speak with rival teams, the 27-year-old has been tabled a four-year contract from the Parramatta Eels and reports have revealed that the Dragons are willing to offer him a $5 million contract over a five-year period.
Meanwhile, the South Sydney Rabbitohs (his current club) have also increased their offer and remain confident of keeping him and the Sydney Roosters are also in the mix.
One of the best players on the open market, the Dragons co-captain has stated that he has talked to him about his future and hopes he chooses the Red and White as his next destination.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t spoken to him,” Cook told The Daily Telegraph of his former Rabbitohs teammate.
“He’s someone I’ve a very biased opinion of because I played alongside him and I know what he brings and I’d love to have him here at the club.
“He’s a special player. The scary thing with him, is that he’s got so much more room to grow. We haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s one of the best props or locks in the game and he can do a great job on the back row as well.
“Watching him from a young age to now, he’s a real leader of a pack and he’s the real leader of whatever team he’ll play with.
“I’d love to have him alongside me here again and to have that combination with him once more would be great.”
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