After being a pivotal part of the Warilla-Lake South Gorillas' grand final run in 2020, Hooper took with talents to the Dragons Jersey Flegg side - which saw his performances reach even greater heights.

It's because of this, St George Illawarra recently decided to extend his contract until the end of 2022.

"It was an easy decision for me to resign with the Dragons for next year," Hooper said.

"I thoroughly enjoyed all my games this year, especially as I got the chance to play alongside my best mate Callum Gromek.

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"I really felt they helped me add elements to my game - teaching me the importance of getting your body and mind as psychically ready as possible to deal with whatever the competition throws at me.

"Success is so much about how you prepare for the game during the week beforehand and I'll be doing whatever is needed to continue to grow as a player and help my team succeed on the field."

It's hardly a surprise the Red V extended Hooper's contract after the playmaker had helped the club into second on the Jersey Flegg (under 21s) ladder before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19.

"We were definitely heading in the right direction for finals," said Hooper, who previously had a stint with the Raiders.

"COVID hitting was definitely disappointing as I thought we were having a really strong season and would have gone close to winning the premiership.

"From a personal perspective, despite dealing with a couple of injuries, I was happy with my performances, which I'll be looking to build on next year."

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The Group Seven product and his squad will start their pre-season on training in early November, ahead of what could be the most important season of his career - as his NRL dream chase heats up.

"My goal for 2022 is to play as many games as I can for the club, in whatever position the coaches think best benefits the side," said the hooker who can also play in the halves.

"There's plenty of us boys returning from last season, who are keen to make amends for the year ending early, meaning we want to go all the way in 2022.

"If we do that, that'll help create opportunities for me because I'd love to transition into NSW Cup and the first grade squad eventually.

"My goal has always been getting an NRL contract and I'm hungrier than ever to rip in and try and achieve it."

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