We've been a little slow on the up-take of a Paul Cooke thread in comparison with another board (now on it's 8th page) - maybe because we are not as bitter and twisted (or bothered generally) as some but I thought the Paul Cooke article in the HDM was an interesting read.

His superb performances against Salford away and hull away in 2007 were pivotal moments which shaped our club's future to ensure we didn't disappear back into oblivion and for that I'll always be grateful to the lad.

His best rugby for us was played in the 2009 season in which he narrowly missed out on being voted the fan's forum player of the year - probably no coincidence that he played as our out-and-out 6 that year and turned in some superb MOTM performances that season.

Despite the fact we've moved on to pastures new by signing a more traditional type stand-off in Blake Green (which I'd imagine will suit more to the way we play) I wish him well for the future what ever he does.

The lad has a great rugby brain and I think he has an excellent career ahead of him as a coach so could maybe get a job as a player-coach somewhere.

Good look to the lad anyway what ever he does - gave me some wonderful memories as a Rovers fan

So did the good times outweigh the bad as far as rovers fans are concerned?

I'd say so. Others would be less generous. I'm glad he came. It was probably best he left. It is part of Rovers history now, a chapter that'll be fondly remembered - not primarily because of PC, but, for most, not despite him either. It is pretty easy for us to be sanguine about how it ended and move on - hence the relative lack of interest in a story based on him saying 'I don't know'.

I'll be honest his 2009 best season must have passed me by, he always looked ok and turned in a couple of great performances (or match turning spells of matches) Salford away, the spell against fc at home, quins away and that last 10 mins vs wire. But never troubled the player of the season title.

He no doubt greatly helped in us staying in SL the 1st year and as such I'll always have an element of gratitude but on the whole, taking away the circus that surrounded him, he was no more than another member of our squad. No better than the likes of Daniel Fitzhenry, Luke Dyer, John Steele etc.. good players but not greats that will go down in the history books.

Ultimately this was probably PC's downfall, he wasn't a great, indispensible etc, just a squad player, got the feeling he never saw it that way.

Liked Luke Dyer a lot - got a good number of tries in 2007. Always keep an eye out for him when Crusaders are on Sky.

I did, had he been english he'd have been a definite to keep. That try against Wigan away in our 1st year in SL was a great try. Fantastic win that night atmosphere was electric.

Of course, he'll always be a legend to me...

Maybe not in terms of number, but in importance absolutely - there's a real possibility that without Paul Cooke we'd be in the Championship now playing in front of 2000+ fans again.

Whatever mistakes Cooke made I'll always be thankful for his contributions, and will always believe that he was THE difference between relegation and survival in 2007.

IMO, Paul Cooke is one of the main reason's we are still a Super League club. He has, like, a lot of other players, moved on, as have Rovers.

He along with others are the main reason we are still in SL.
That takes some outweighing no matter how you stack it.

Honest question. Why do you think he never realised his potential at the club he longed to play for since being a youngster? I appreciate he never had the players around him who developed with him and complimented him (Horne, Yeamo etc). But having said that, you'd have expected his efforts to triplicate, surely?

Who knows, maybe his style and approach just didn't fit with the rest of the team. As said, it did seem like most of Hull's attacking play went through him, whereas when Dobson came in Cooke maybe had to kinda play second to him. This I don't feel Cooke could ever complain about though, because if he's honest he will admit that Dobson is twice the creative player Cooke ever was at his peak. Watched the play-off derby again last night, the way Dobson shrugged off a Hull player before grubber-kicking which eventually led to the Welham try is just sheer class.

If Cooke had been the main playmaker in 2009/10 (say with I'Anson or someone alongside him) then it might have been a happier time for him, but with Dobson been the success he has, how could Justin have acted any differently? To not give Dobson full freedom to roam would be very bad coaching, regardless of what Cooke achieved at Hull.

Regardless of which team he played for he had some great games and some not so good games. He often made players he played with look better than they do without him. He helped HKR stay in Superlegue and we should be grateful for that. I, for one, wish him all the best and hope he finds some peace so he can continue his Rugby League career.

Also, there is that sneaky part of me that loves the fact that he crossed the City and how much it still grates on a lot of FC fans, so much so they even sang about him dying when he turned out for Wakefield. Nobody bears a grudge like a Hull FC supporter!!!

Don't know what you mean there mate...

His performance against Salford and then Hull three weeks later made sure of that. Those two results kept us in Super League.

Despite a post about Cooke on the board above saying he is despised at both ends of the city seems very flawed IMO. It would appear the main animosity / dislike / hatred about him stems mainly from the west side of our city. Although Rovers fans may have divided opinions about his contribution to our team, most i believe, wish him well in his future career and thank him for his contribution in keeping us in Super League when relegation threatened in our first year.

I don`t think he grates on me,times have moved on,which to be fair is more than can be said of Cookey.

11th, 7th and 4th in the 3 seasons he completed with Rovers. It was a move that worked as far as I can see but ended when it needed too

100% spot on Bertie.

The fictitious non-sense that fans from both sides of the city hate him is what they want to believe due to their miss-directed bitterness towards him as they continue to bury their heads in the sand instead of getting the real answers why Cooke left their club.

When the 6 year deadline passes for FC to take action against Cooke, the truth will out and the FC board will have to finally answer for their miss-management and incompetence instead re-directing FC fans anger onto the innocent party who was Paul Cooke.

Did any body see "Quatermass and the pit"?
Its about an entity which turns the residents of a city against each other,causing chaos and destruction,for the life of me I can`t remember seeing Paul Cooke in that film.

I for one would certainly like "the real answers" as to why Cooke left Hull.

As for Hull suing him, as Zod says its not going to happen.

There's no point in suing someone who has no money and in view of the way Cooke's career has declined since he left Hull, it would certainly be a case of kicking a man when he's down.

Can't say I dislike him, he did def help keep us up and win all the derbies, but I was disappointed that he never really fulfilled the potential he undoubtebly has. He will always be one of those "what if" players. I got the sense he never really had the mental attitude to be a great.

hope the trends continues backwards without him

At least it will give you FC fans something to look forward to

I feel sorry for him. Without him FC wouldn't have won the Challenge Cup or made a Grand Final, and Rovers would quite possibly not be in Super League. A shame for him that personal issues have eclipsed his obvious talent.