Apart from the Murrell bit, obviously. International pivot and all that.

WTF is your beef with Murrell tonight?



Oh and well done on just getting the book thread locked Yorkie.

Jesus H Christ, Roofs. Cooke was signed for £100k+ a year and Dobson didn't even join Rovers until 2008. Cooke was a far more proven option at SL level than Murrell to partner Webster. The beginning of the end for Cooke's career was when Morgan stepped on Webster's face to get to Dobson.

Translated: Morgan made a coaching decision to replace Webster with Dobson (must say if I'd be in charge I'd have kept Webster as a fill-in stand-off, scrum-half or hooker - legend of a player). Dobson however is the best half-back Rovers have had in the last two decades, so ATEOTD Morgan, it cannot be denied, made the correct decision to push Dobson as the main man.

Dobson has undoubtedly been a success at Rovers, that is not the point at all. Cooke was a pivotal player in a top 2, CC-winning, GF side. Morgan chose not to optimise the contribution of Cooke because of his insistence on channelling everything through goldenbollox Dobson, thereby, in conjunction with Cooke's own issues, effectively ending Cooke's career. Morgan's failure to create a top partnership between a rising star and an experienced and creative top 2 HB should go down as a huge missed opportunity, surely?

No, theory and reality are two different things. In theory Cooke and Dobson was a dream pairing, but it didn't work in reality. In any case, Morgan cannot be blamed for Cooke's off-field problems, weight gain (alleged), been in Piper the night before a big away game, etc etc. Don't get me wrong I was a fan of Cooke at Rovers, and on paper he didn't get given enough chances under Morgan, but again, in reality there could have been so many factors that the majority of us will not know about.

It didn't work in reality, correct, but the fact is that Cooke went from a pivotal player in a top 2 team to a no-mark bit-part player in a couple of seasons under Morgan. Cooke never helped himself at either Hull club, but playing under Morgan effectively ended Cooke's career.

Not really - Cooke looked world-class away to Salford and you guys in 2007, but he never followed it up. When he did play for Rovers he rarely produced that sort of class again. Surely Morgan can't take the blame for that?

Hey I thought you hated Cookie anyway?

But the point is he was good enough to be [uthe[/u go-to player the previous year in a top 2 team that made the Grand Final. Morgan couldn't/didn't want to get the best out of him, simple as.



Hate is a strong word. As said, I was pi$$ed off mightily at the time, but am a lone voice on here now feeling a bit sorry for him and seeing his undoubted talent so comprehensively squandered.

Hmm, strange though how not only did his biggest fan (John Kear) give him little opportunity before showing him the door, but another big admirer (Shaun Mcrae) apparantly has no interest in signing him.



Go on?

International hooker tho, not a 6

Not really. Cooke's career was irretrievably damaged whilst playing under Morgan at Rovers. Nothing wrong with his on-the-pitch delivery in a top 2 team at FC, it just all unravelled horribly in a couple of years at Craven Park.

Oh ffs.



Well guys like Murrell, Fox, Briscoe, Watts etc have become better players under Morgan so we can forgive him one guy going off the rails hun?

None of which has anything to do with Paul Cooke, whose career indisputably nose-dived under Morgan at Rovers. Didn't we start off this conversation agreeing that Cooke was an important figure for both clubs, despite this rapid decline at Rovers? The extent of Cooke's unfulfilled potential under Morgan is all the more obvious in that context.



What a fun Friday evening

Cooke and Dobson a dream pairing!?!?!?!

It's good on paper, yes, but a dream pairing, no!

Thurston - Marshall
Prince - Carney
Cronk - Chase
Hodgkinson - Lockyer
Pearce - Tomkins

I would bracket as "dream" pairings. Unless your applying the Ol' theory of relativity. If so, fair enough, Dobson and Cooke in theory is V Good

Haven't seen Briscoe improve personally. He left Hull a very good player and remains a very good player. He's no better now then he was in 05/06

Hey I have to thank you Mrs B - was facing a boring Friday night in before we extended conversation, was good laugh.







Won't however be around tonight due to going out (see Gingerman Day thread), sorry.







P.S. Still think it was Cooke's fault, and that Morgan is a hero.

That's maybe a fair point, can't really comment I guess because obviously have only seen him play regularly from 2008-present.

Paul Cooke starts work on Monday for his dads company!

Doing what?

Dream Team 2004, and only kept out of the GB team by Wellens at the peak of his career. His link-up with Richard Horne running the middle channel was superb. Gone downhill, if anything.

9 pages long on a has been who isnt coming and never will.

Do we need 2 arguing the toss about him???????

just mention Hull City a few times, then it will get locked!

Hull City.....Hull City.....Hull City.....Hull City....Hull City.....Hull City.....Hull City....Hull City


Judas is a fat has been....Now Lock It

Aye true....wonder where a certain mod is.....he does like to assert his mod status.