Paul Cooke lands new coaching challenge at Championship club after York Knights exit

Former Hull FC and Hull KR half-back Paul Cooke.
-Credit: (Image: SW Pix)


Former Hull FC and Hull KR half-back Paul Cooke will link up with Featherstone Rovers for the 2025 season. Hull Live understands the 43-year-old will work under James Ford as an assistant coach, with his latest position now finalised.

Cooke was believed to have had many suitors before joining York Knights ahead of the 2024 season, originally working under Andrew Henderson. However, Henderson was replaced by Mark Applegarth in June, with Cooke telling players and club officials of his desire to move on earlier this week.

Seeking a new challenge, Cooke will now put his rugby league passion into Featherstone’s bid to get back to the top of the Championship after a sixth-place finish in 2024. They were knocked out of the play-offs by Bradford Bulls earlier this month.

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As exclusively reported by Hull Live, Featherstone have signed former Hull FC centre Carlos Tuimavave for 2025. The West Yorkshire club also have fellow ex-Black and White Connor Wynne on the books, with the club determined to build a squad that can compete at the top of the second-tier competition once again.

Cooke, meanwhile, has further contacts at Featherstone from his playing career. His final playing season was at Post Office Road back in 2015, with the Hull-born off-half or loose-forward coming through the ranks at the Black and Whites, debuting in 1999 and winning the Challenge Cup in 2005. He played at Hull until a cross-city move to Hull KR in 2007 and also spent time at Wakefield Trinity and Doncaster.

Since retirement, Cooke has coached at Doncaster, where he was a previous Championship Coach of the Year. He also had a spell at Leigh while under the Centurions brand, helping the club reach Super League in 2017.

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