Cooke, who created a storm when he walked out on Hull last summer to join Rovers as a free agent, claiming he had never signed his contract at the KC Stadium, watched yesterday's Hull derby from the stand after being axed for breaching club discipline.

Justin Morgan, the Hull KR coach, refused to explain why the club's highest-paid player had been dropped after seeing his side suffer a crushing 46-18 defeat.

However, the Yorkshire Post understands that there are irreconcilable differences between Cooke and Morgan, who last week sent the 27-year-old home from training after deciding he was in no fit state to participate in preparations for the derby.

Asked why Cooke did not play, Morgan's terse reply was that "he wasn't fit for selection during the week" and when pressed on whether Cooke would ever play for Rovers again the Australian responded "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Morgan said the decision to drop Cooke was his, but declined to comment on claims that the stand-off had been sent home from training. Asked if Cooke had a future at Craven Park, Morgan said: "We'll give an answer to that when the time is right."

Morgan did say that Cooke had not been disciplined by the club, but, asked if the player would be, replied: "That's a board decision."

While there are few doubts about Cooke's abilities as a player, his reputation and record off the field could deter many clubs from chasing his services should Hull KR sack him or make him available for transfer.

Only last month Cooke was banned from driving for 16 months after being caught driving over the limit and in April 2006 was convicted of careless driving, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident.

Later that year he was fined £500 and ordered to serve 100 hours community service after being convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a fight outside a Hull city centre nightclub.

Although Hull were left seething by the manner of his departure last year, Cooke's former club appear to have come to terms with life without him.

"Paul Cooke hasn't been our problem for 14 months and I doubt he ever will be again," said Hull's coach Richard Agar yesterday.