Barrett says no distractions,
Cooper out

St George Illawarra skipper Trent Barrett believes the fallout from a drunken bonding session at a NSW South Coast hotel won't derail the NRL club's premiership campaign. The joint venture club has fined Barrett and his Dragons team mate Mathew Head $2,000 and $1,000 respectively for their behaviour at a Warrawong pub last Monday night.

Dragons chief executive Peter Doust says the club wants to put the matter to rest after punishing Barrett and Head for what he's called minor errors of judgement.

Meanwhile, the club received some more bad news with gun centre Matt Cooper ruled out of the clash with Newcastle. St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown says he won't risk playing the New South Wales rep at Kogarah on Sunday.

Cooper has a hamstring injury, but Brown says backrower Ben Creagh is likely to return from a shoulder injury this weekend. Parramatta will beat the Dragons in the race to the minor premiership if it downs an injury-ravaged Brisbane on Friday night.