Cooke crosses city divide to Hull KR

Paul Cooke on Friday completed his controversial cross-city move from Hull FC to Hull KR after the Rugby Football League finally agreed to transfer his registration.

The 26-year-old stand-off is now expected to make his debut for Rovers - the club he has supported since childhood - against Huddersfield at Craven Park on Friday night.

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Cooke quit Hull on Monday after nine years with the club, claiming that because he never signed his contract that he was offered last June, he was a free agent.

He signalled his intention to accept a three-and-a-half year deal with Rovers but the move was halted by the League, who ruled he remained contracted to the Black and Whites.

Now the League say Hull have accepted Cooke's resignation and, therefore, cleared him to switch clubs.

However, the League have asked their disciplinary commissioner Norman Sarsfield to investigate allegations of misconduct by both Cooke and Rovers.

In a statement the League said: "On Monday 23rd April 2007, Paul Cooke applied to the RFL for free agency status and to register with Hull Kingston Rovers RLFC.

"Based on evidence provided to the RFL at the time, the RFL considered that Cooke had a binding contract with the Hull FC club that precluded this request.

"Yesterday evidence was provided to the RFL that legal advisors on behalf of the Hull FC club had in fact accepted the player's resignation with immediate effect on 23rd April 2007.

"The evidence was provided by legal representatives of Paul Cooke. Based on clear legal advice from the RFL's external lawyers - the RFL has determined there is no valid reason not to accept the registration of Paul Cooke as a player with Hull KR following the acceptance of his resignation by Hull FC.

"Accordingly, Cooke is now able to begin playing for the Hull KR club with immediate effect."

A Hull KR spokesperson confirmed that Cooke would be available for selection for Friday night's match but said the final decision rests with coach Justin Morgan.

The club are expected to reveal more details of the transfer in a press conference later on Friday.

Cooke, rated the best uncapped stand-off in Super League, was Hull's joint longest-serving player, alongside Richard Horne, and amassed 798 points from 221 appearances in his nine seasons with them.

He was their leading scorer in each of the last three years and was the hero of their 2005 Challenge Cup triumph with the late match-winning try.

He would have been due a testimonial next year but has clearly been unhappy for some time and revealed earlier this week that was the reason he never signed his new three-year deal.

Cooke's decision to cross the great divide will heighten interest in the 200th Hull derby, which will form part of the Millennium Magic weekend in Cardiff next Saturday.

He played a key role in Hull's 22-14 win over Rovers in front of a sell-out 23,002 crowd at the KC Stadium on Easter Monday.