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Rugby League

RFL blocks Cooke move

24/04/2007

The Rugby Football League (RFL) has blocked the controversial move of Paul Cooke from Hull FC to Super League rivals Hull Kingston Rovers.

Cooke announced yesterday that he had chosen to resign from the playing ranks of Hull FC in order to join the cross-town club he has supported since childhood.

And although Hull KR announced that they had successfully negotiated a three-and-a-half year contract with the 26-year-old stand-off, his registration still needs to be approved by the game's officials if he is to be allowed to play for his new team.

However a spokesman for the RFL said that it would not complete Cooke's registration until the matter had been amicably resolved.

"As far as we are concerned, Paul Cooke is still a registered contracted player of Hull FC," said Craig Spence, RFL communications manager.

"We would ask that Paul Cooke and Hull FC sit down to try to resolve this matter. If they can't, then Paul Cooke could seek an RFL dispute tribunal hearing. The earliest this could take place is next week."

With this new timescale, Cooke would not be able to make his debut for Rovers against Huddersfield this Friday.

Instead he would have to wait until Hull KR's next game, which incidentally is a local derby against Hull FC on May 5th.

Hull KR are still holding out hope that the situation can be resolved this week to allow Cooke to be included in their playing squad for this weekend.

They have announced 19 players of their 20-man squad for that fixture in an announcement today and confirmed that "one remaining player is yet to be named".

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