By the way nothing has been signed yet and thats from the horses mouth

I agree with your assessment of him as a player. I've known plenty of six-pint hotheads in my time, and I've no problem with the ones I've known.

Exactly Slugger and the stories of the video incident were a very one eyed view of things. Now I'm not saying I agree with the action he eventually took but there was more to the story than just Bens mate being ko'd by the lad he got in to trouble with

And how about the racist abuse on Facebook?

That was extremely silly and misguided. i know for a fact hes not racist, he mixes with friends from all ethnicities including asians.

Edited for inevitable accuracy

How is racial abuse 'silly and misguided?'

very good signing but do not try to claim him as a Saint. The lad is was and always will be a muppet. The fact he signs for you or anyone else should not cloud your judgement of him as a person.

newsflash, a lot of rugby players are prats and not very nice people when they have a drink, the sad fact is he is one of the worst of the bunch currently knocking about.

To claim he is simple is offence to simpletons.

he is signing for you he told me last night after the cas game we loved him here he always gave 100% he had a bit of bother but he always did the business on the pitch

If he does the business on the pitch and can add to the team great he will be welcomed.

Will be his chance/lifeline to re-enter top level rl. Hope he knuckles down and gives his all if he signs.

Oh great, there's only really 3 players I detest in RL and he's one of them.

What is with us Wakey fans why will we never give a bad boy a chance this kid must know he has to grow up or hes finished give him a chance i say i can think of a good number over the last 30 odd years that have worked out

Danny Brough was one with problems over the years, came to wakey and seemed to sort himself out then went to shudds

Could not agree more, the people who use terms like scum bag etc really don't get the mentality of sport at this level. For every David Beckham there is a Joey Barton and for every Paul Sculthorpe there is a Danny! People are people and the attempts to make them all saintly is pathetic IMO. RL is a tough game and as such attract it's fair share of thugs, loons and morons - some of those end up being it's finest players.

If we judged players based on their personalities we'd have very few legends in the game. Neil Fox is a genuine legend of the game and his reputation is beyond reproach. Derek Turner is also a legend but he has been airbrushed into respectability. In reality and even by the standards of the day he was border line psychotic , yet a great player and from what I gather far more of a force in the dressing room than Fox. He reamains rightly so a Trinity legend and hero. Again from what I'm told Turner was not a guy you wanted as a friend you just wanted him on your team and not theirs - even then you were not safe from him. Maybe as a family man he was great, maybe out of RL he was OK I don't know but as a RL player he was a bad man.

Turner is an old man now and never ever attends any reunions despite always being asked. My theory is because he enjoyed being the hard and enforcer, put simply he liked scaring people - he can't do that now. Yet despite that not being a great advert for him as a person you'd have a young Turner in a Trinity shirt any day.

What saved Turner and most of the other old time RL players from becoming trouble off the field was society at the time and the fact that they all needed a job outside the game. What would Rocky be like now in the modern game, assuming he'd even get a game - all that money and all that time.

The game will always attract a cross section of society and the nature of the game means that some of it's least likeable players will be some of it's best - reality check folks. Having heard some of the stories about players through the years Cockaynes biggest offence as far as I can tell is getting caught because he's far from the worst in the game.

I'd have Cockayne play for my team any day but I wouldn't ever invite him home for tea. All this moralising about players and them being role models makes me laugh - don't get me wrong we want role models but we have to accept that not all good players are or ever will be.

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I remember Brough taking the club bus for a ride and leaving Wakey under a cloud, Cockayne is a hothead no doubt, but he is also a decent rugby player, if his aggression can be channelled he would be a great team player, I for 1 am willing to give him a go, he is no worse than Bailey, Latu or Chase

There are worse players than both of those out there - the mark of a real thug IMO is their ability not to get caught. Not even attempting to defend Cockayne's action off the field, I just reackon he's dumber than most of his type

Speaking to him last night and he knows its last chance saloon wherever he goes. He's prepared to start any contract on a final warning and is determined not to screw things up one last time. Give the lad a chance and I'm sure his performances on the pitch will brng you round if he does sign. If he signs support him whilst hes here, you don't have to speak to him off the pitch if you don't want to but if he pulls on the shirt then he deserves the same respect of the next man. Like vasty says theres plenty of bad boys out there and in Latu who was done for breaking a womans nose on a garage forecourt then in my opinion we've had worse! I backed Latu and I'll back Ben, in fact I'll back Ben even more as I know the bloke and know far more about him than whats just been printed in the papers. I'm not saying he's an angel, but he's the sort of bloke that would do anything he can to help out whether he knows you or not, believe it or not he's a kind hearted bloke.

100% agree. He wasn't the worst at KR, just the one that got caught.

Theres no doubt he would be an assett on the field, its whether he can stay off the beer thats the problem. I'm not sure he's got the willpower.

The things that make good RL players don't always make model citizens. There is something missing in Bens make up as with many players and indeed people that stops them from thinking about the consequences of there actions. Great for playing sport, as inhibitions will stifle a player but not so good for life. This is made worse by there public profile and the fact they are big lads who can do some damage. However for me that is a job for the Courts to deal with.

This is why despite being heavily involved with the club for a while I never bothered to become a player groupie like some. That's their choice but for me it's a case of never meet your heroes as they will only let you down - most RL players fall into this category. I'll take your word regarding his personality. I am bothered by his behavior if it carries on as there has to be a limit, but if he's turned a corner then I'm only interested with what he does for the 80 minutes.

What I'm not sure about is whether we need him as a player.

That's the key, these player seem to have an uncontrollable desire to press the self destruct button.

Some very sensible opinions Vasty, a lot of which I agree with.

However, I think there's a line that as a modern, public-facing, community based organisation, we shouldn't cross. How does, for example, our work in local, multi-ethnic schools square up with employing someone who has made racist statements in a public arena? How about our commitment to the RFL's 'respect' policy? What about any attempts to get the Asian community interested in the sport? How do we engage with, let's say, a local unit for people with acquired brain injuries, when one of our playing staff is on film trying to inflict one on someone?

I'm very aware that RL has a built in element of controlled agression and that some of it's finest exponents are not especially academically gifted; that's fine, but for me, having a barney on the pitch or being a bit dozy off it are a million miles away from Mr Cockayne's very public transgressions.

For me, his appointment would damage our credibility.

If he gets appointed it would be on proviso there are no issues.

I would give him a chance and support him as any other who pulls on the shirt.

Most of the above is correct, it's a tricky one. If Cockayne deserves another go and it's not for me to say this must surely be the last.

I will also point out slightly OT that it is not illegal to hold racist opinions, it is illegal to discriminate and incite. I fully support the right of people to express their racist opinions. We live in a mature democracy and as such we should be able to handle these opinions. Just in the same way as we should be able to accept all forms of legally acceptable Muslim or whatever opinion. Believing in the British mentality of fair play I also believe it's far better that we know who the racists are then the vast majority of us can chose to ignore them and live and let live. You can't reason with racists of any persuasion until you know they are racist. Not allowing them the ability to do so and thus be argued with only reinforces their IMO ignorant beliefs. The thought police can simply never be allowed to exist IMO, that idea is a dangerous as any race theory. I don't need anyone to tell me racism is wrong and Cockayne is a fool for having those views. That said I've no wish to appease any racial minority just to pick up fans - so sorry Bren but I don't go with you on that bit. - I know my beliefs are not in keeping with modern attitudes and I will be accused of some ism or other but that's how I feel. Democracy and freedom in it's truest form cannot only be applied only to people who's views you and I like.

I'd love the club to take a moral stand and only sign players who are decent people too, whilst still challenging for honours. Sadly, that isn't going to happen and Ben Cockayne is much more exciting to watch than some like Josh Vievers. I thought he was KR's best player when we played them at home. Unfortunately, it seems that the characteristics which make us hate them as human beings are the same characteristics which give them that edge to be professional sportsmen. And whilst we're talking about idiots, I still think Jordan Tansery would be worth a one year deal, although I can't see Agar giving him another go.