Morgan - It's Cooke's choice

Cooke: Left out of Hull KR's last two matches

As a professional footballer you have obligations to your team-mates. First and foremost he (Cooke) needs to recognise those, then he needs to sort them out.

Justin Morgan
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Hull KR coach Justin Morgan has admitted Paul Cooke could still stay with the club, as long he makes some lifestyle changes.

The 27-year-old's future at Rovers has been in some doubt since he was left out of the derby clash with Hull FC despite being fit to play.

Although he has since returned to training with the first team, Cooke was again watching from the stands on Friday night when the Robins defeated Catalans Dragons 30-16.

Morgan has warned the player that he can expect to stay out of the team for the remaining two-and-a-half years of his contract if he does not sort out of his off-the-field issues.

Choice

"He is contracted for the next two-and-a-half years," said Morgan. "He wasn't selected for the same reasons, he's not in a good enough state to take his place in the team.

"He's got a choice, he can make some decisions about his lifestyle and some of his off-field things to sort them out.

"As a professional footballer you have obligations to your team-mates. First and foremost he needs to recognise those, then he needs to sort them out.

"If he does, there could be a future, if he doesn't he'll stay exactly where he is now for the next two and a half years, on the sidelines and he won't play."

The saga could take a further twist this week when club chairman Neil Hudgell - who was instrumental in Cooke's controversial switch from city rivals Hull FC last year - returns from his holidays.

Resolution

Morgan is hoping the situation will be resolved in the near future and remains positive that the former Airlie Bird can have a future at Craven Park.

"The chairman is well and truly aware of what's going on, he's been away for a week, he's back and I fully expect some dialogue between Paul Cooke, myself and the chairman this week," he added.

"As I said, if he's prepared to put his hand up and take some ownership of some of his actions off the rugby pitch we could possibly move forward, but if he doesn't, as I said, he will sit exactly where he is for the next two and a half years."