THE influx of Englishmen to the NRL continues, with St George Illawarra Dragons today signing Warrington Wolves prop Mike Cooper for the next two seasons.

“Mike is a rising young forward in the English Super League who was keen to further develop his career in Australia,” Dragons CEO Peter Doust said.

“A number of people based in England have recommended Mike to us and he is a good value proposition for us over the next two seasons.”

Cooper is a product of the Warrington academy system having progressed from one of the town’s grassroots clubs, Latchford Albion.

He made his first team debut back 2006 and has gone on to make 118 appearances for the club, including last season's Super League grand final and the Challenge Cup final in 2009.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since the age of 16,” said Cooper.

"Being a Warrington lad I’m very proud to have been a part of what the club has achieved over the last couple seasons with the recent success in the Challenge Cup and in reaching the grand final.

“The next step for me is to test myself in Australia and gain some experience. I’m fully aware it’s going to be big learning curve for me; I’ll be back at square one again really but it’s something that really excites me.

“There were a couple of clubs that we were speaking to within the NRL having watched the last couple of seasons."

Cooper will relocate to Australia at the end of the 2013 season with Warrington and join the Dragons for pre-season training in November.



