DAMIEN Cook has just dazzled in his State of Origin debut for NSW.

But now he’s returned to club duties for South Sydney, the wily hooker’s reputation as one of the game’s good guys has surfaced in an hilarious and unusual way.

Cook and Souths teammate Dane Gagai may have been foes on Wednesday night, but by the time they linked up with the Bunnies they were mates again.

And Cook looks after his mates, even when it involves carrying their Queensland State of Origin backpack.

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Queensland Maroons player Dane Gagai (right) and NSW Blues player Damien Cook (left) are seen on arrival at the Gold Coast airport on the Gold Coast. Source: AAP

Mate against mate. Source: AAP

Gagai played just 24 hours after sustaining a gruesome finger dislocation at Tuesday’s QLD captain’s run, and if this picture is any indication he’s still struggling to carry the injury.

Cook, who carved the middle of the Queensland defence in the lead-up to two NSW tries, was spotted wearing the QLD Maroons backpack on his front as he, Gagai, Greg Inglis and Angus Crichton walked out of the airport.

They say it’s state against state; mate against mate. But only for three nights a year.