Jason Smith was pure class, a fantastic player, Swain an all round pro, hard to pick between the two.
Richie Barnett was a pleasure to watch, Cooke was a fine player for us, Best, Maher theres been a few, my top three would be Smith, Swain and Horne!

I would consider the best player to be the complete package on and off the pitch, like Richard Swain was.Cooke was a great player for us but the model pro he definitely was not.

Jason Smith - Best Player
Richard Swain - Best Signing

Agree with that and a special mention to Shayne McMenemy for the unsung star. Its no coincidence we had so much success when he was in the back row.

It's been discussed to death hasnt it about his off field antics, however, on the field i think he's up there in the top 5 players of the noughties for us, if it weren't for him leaving in the manner he did i think a lot more people would be mentioning him along with Smith and Swain.

Paul Cooke learnt a hell of a lot from Jason Smith and might not have been the player he became without his influence. I remember Smith totally running many a game for Hull with Cooke and Horne playing the support act and doing as they were told.

Tony Grimaldi deserves a mention also for the professionalism he brought to the team in the early years.

I remember in his early games Cooke had Tony Smith playing at 7 too which massively helped him at the time. Agree that Cooke learnt a lot from Smith (including some of the bad habits)

As i say, it's a shame that people memories of Cooke are tainted by him walking out like he did.

Cooke had a couple of years of quality where he helped Hull to major finals and was on the verge of GB recognition. People shouldnt forget that but I wonder if he regrets the way his career has gone since then. I am not turning this into a Rovers slanging match but Paul Cooke is at his best guiding teams round the park as the main pivot IMO.

A great player does well no matter what team he is at. Cooke has shown he is not a great player since being at Rovers.

Swain gets my vote only just shading Smith though. Very hard to choose between them

But the topic is our best player of the noughties not overall great players, otherwise Kearney would get a mention and Richie Barnett would be higher up the list.

I still would not have Cooke above Swain or Smith though. He would probably be my 3rd choice.

I wouldnt have him above them either, i'd have him in my top 5.

If there was a "play of the decade" it would have to have been his chargedown at Cardiff.

Not Cookes winning try?

We were still behind after that score.

Broughs winning goal

Richard Swain for me
Jason Smith very close
Stevie Prescott

Cookie - never ever rated him to be honest, but he did make me smile at Cardiff!

i would say swain but a close second kearney , wot he did in that challenge cup year of 2005 was immense , a true leader and giant on and off the pitch

Swainy- best player in terms of overall influence on the team.

Jason Smith- best player in terms of being able to do something on the pitch that made you think, wow!!

put smiths brain into swains body and attitude and i think you'd be hard pushed to find a better player anywhere in the noughties!

Theres been many great players over the past ten years my top 6 are,

Matt Sing,
Adam Mahar,
Stephen Kearney,
Jason Smith,
Steve Presscott
& Richard Swain.

It has to be Richard Swain.

Never forget that match when he banged his head on the floor and was knocked out cold, but still managed to get up and still wanted to come back on and play.

Was that against Saints? I remember watching the replay on the big screen so it must have been on sky.

no probs with the rest but Matt Sing

Don't know how you can even compare Matt Sing with Paul Cooke. Sing hasn't even been our best winger from the noughties. Id have Raynor, Best and possibly Blacklock over the Matt Sing WE saw.
If you forget about the way Cooke left the club, he ran the show for us for our 2 most succesful seasons (2005 & 2006) and was an important player for us ever since he came into the team in 1999. I dont like the way he left the club more than anyone else but credit were its due Paul Cooke was a very important player for us during the noughties.
Still Swain and Smith for me overall though

Swain or Jason Smith.

I think personally the pain that blacklock played through and the injuries he had would make him one of my favourite players of the period, good or bad he always entertained us!!
Best player close between Smith and Mac
Swain was world class but in fairness a tackling machine not a great ball handler