Cooke plays way into Noble's calculations

"Those things don't go unnoticed," said Noble at Great Britain's first ever mid-season training camp in Bath yesterday.

"He is one who has been discussed, along with Malcolm Alker at Salford and Ben Westwood at Warrington, whose form has been pretty good all season."

On the down side, the absentees from the camp were led by Wigan's Kris Radlinski, who has gone for another scan just one game into his comeback from a hamstring injury.

Cooke's Hull team-mate Paul King has also asked to be released from the squad because he needs an operation on his wrist at the end of the season.

Martin Gleeson has said how much he is looking forward to playing alongside Andrew Johns, whose short-term signing will be confirmed by Warrington tomorrow. "It's going to be a dream come true," he said. "When I was growing up, he was the player I looked up to. I'm looking forward so much to being on the end of his passes and he will give us such a lift at the end of the season."

Sean Long could have his ambitions to play in Australia blocked by St Helens. South Sydney have made an approach for the Test scrum-half, but Saints have given them no encouragement. "It's been an ambition of mine since I was a kid," Long said. "And if I'm ever going to go this would be the time." South are also in competition with Salford to sign Widnes's Australian centre, Aaron Moule.

Les Catalans, the new French team in Super League next season, hope to add Jerome Guisset to their inaugural squad, despite him being under contract to Wigan for next season. Guisset could be part of a major exodus, with Danny Orr sought after by Salford and Stephen Wild and Martin Aspinwall both lined up by Huddersfield.

"I am a Wigan lad and I'd love to stay with Wigan, but if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen," said Wild, who is in Great Britain's Tri-Nations squad.

The former Wigan prop Terry O'Connor plans to delay retirement if Widnes are relegated, as expected, from Super League this season. O'Connor had planned to retire at the age of 33, but says he will play another year if his home town team go down.