Paul Cooke has been no stranger to controversy and drama since his move from Hull to Hull Kingston Rovers last season and the stand-off was again the centre of attention as his former club completed a redemptive win over their arch-rivals yesterday.

Having been the key figure for Rovers in their two engage Super League wins against Hull this year, Cooke watched the third derby from the stand after being dropped for disciplinary reasons, which have raised doubts over his future at Craven Park. The Hull KR board will meet this week to decide Cooke's fate, but it is clear that, for all the player's creative genius on the field, his club have lost patience with his behaviour off it.

Justin Morgan, the Hull KR coach, would say yesterday only that Cooke was “not fit for selection” and declined to confirm or deny reports that the player had been sent home from training last week. Asked if Cooke is facing disciplinary action, Morgan said: “That's a board decision.” But he added that the decision to omit him from his selections yesterday was “mine and mine alone”.

The saga overshadowed a fine victory by Hull, who scored 28 points without reply in the second half, as they warmed up for their Carnegie Challenge Cup semi-final against Wakefield Wildcats on Sunday in style. They scored eight tries, including two each for Kirk Yeaman, the England centre who is showing signs of a return to form in the run-up to the World Cup in the autumn, and Tom Briscoe, an 18-year-old winger who is still awaiting his A-level results.

Briscoe's second try, a 90-metre gallop down the left touchline, was the highlight of an entertaining match, the outcome of which hung in the balance at half-time, when Rovers led 18-16. Tries by Ben Galea, a hard-working Australian forward who took on Cooke's role at stand-off, Ben Cockayne and Chaz I'anson helped Rovers to hold the upper hand, although Hull were never more than a score behind after tries from Briscoe, Scott Wheeldon and Yeaman.

The second half was little more than a procession, however, as Hull, who were supremely marshalled by Shaun Berrigan, the former Australia hooker, cut loose. High kicks by Danny Washbrook and Tommy Lee set up early tries for Graeme Horne and Matt Sing before Berrigan put Yeaman through for his second. Briscoe's long-range score and a try by Craig Hall completed the win for Hull, who will head for the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, on Sunday confident that they can book a place at Wembley for the first time since 1985.

“That did us the world of good today, but no one is getting carried away,” Richard Agar, the Hull coach, said. “We did what we always do after a win and sang the club song, Old Faithful, but I've heard it sung with a lot more gusto. That's not because we're not delighted at winning the derby, rather that the players know they have a big seven days in front of them between now and the semi-final.”