Oh I agree I think his constant transgressions are more him being a d**khead than any demons. But losing everything like he will do now can lead to people taking extreme responses.

Got to admit I am behind what mattsrhinos has said a couple of times. People are only saying I hope he sorts his demons because we are rugby league fans and he is a fantastic rugby league player. There will be 4-500 lads out in Leeds on a weekend who do exactly the same that everyone watching on will just say what a d*ckhead. He’s shown no respect for cas their fans or more importantly his own career. I don’t go out in Leeds (Bradford lad) because I find a lot of the stuck up their own rectum people that go out in Leeds are like him and just think that them partying is all that matters.



But I think while our players can’t earn the sort of money to retire them when they finish I can’t see it changing. They put their bodies on the line in the toughest sport for the most minimal amount of money. Point I’m making is he isn’t the first and I’m damn sure there’s a hell of a lot more being covered up “out of competition”. I wonder if our salary cap wa sin line with the NRL would our players be more weary of their careers

Salary has nothing to do with it - compared to most of the idiots Hardaker hangs out with he's probably loaded. Inability to grow up has far more to do with it. Anyone who acts like Hardaker has done well into their 20s has little chance of turning things around IMO. Being an immature idiot at 18 isn't unusual and most of us get past that stage. But some sportstars get stuck in a perpetual teenage attitude which they never grow out of, probably because they don't have to. Julian O'Neill, Todd Carney, Josh Dugan in the NRL, Gazza etc etc.



Some of them eventually change when they get a big enough kick in the - like hopefully Mitchell Pearce after being publicly humiliated. But too many don't grow up until late in their careers by when their athletic skill is on the wane.



Hopefully this will cause Hardaker to change his spots. If he doesn't look after himself very well over the course of a ban he'll find coming back far harder than he could imagine, and he could easily end up never getting anywhere near his best (more like at Leeds 2016).

I wonder how he will get on in rugby union, better brush up on his french if he wants decent money!

If its a WADA ban then he won't be doing any pro sport for a long while.

And will he be welcomed back. Or booed like Justin gatlin

There is a major difference with the true drugs cheat Gatlin. He used drugs to enhance his performance & was caught more than once.

Hardaker is an immature idiot.

As long as support is offered, he's man enough to take the opportunity and see it through then fine.



As stated above, its a dicey situation when your world has fallen apart around your ears, friends become enemies and your anger turns inwards. The only person who can dig Hardaker out is his closet family and of course, himself. I for one wish him only the best in this.

If Cas wash their hands of him I wouldn't be against us offering him support and even a role at the club if he was up for it with the clear message that in no way will he be offered a playing contract at the end of his ban.



I know many would be against that and say we've tried to help him before but like it or not he's forever linked with this club for what he achieved here in the past and nothing that happens in the future changes that and he still has many good friends at the club.



They wouldn't be any risk on our part because it's not like we'd be shelling out money for him and if he still messes up it has no impact on our squad and on field hopes and if it stops him going down the path that Newton took then well worth it.

In his latter days at rhinos he was bad apple for the team once sir kev left. I cannot see us letting him come a there near the players. Don't want him to guide walker etc down the wrong road too

No sympathy for him at all, had so so many chances and help, but he just is a brainless idiot, deserves all he gets, it's not like he has shown appreciation of the support he received from the club and fans, he has shown contempt and tried to rub it in the faces of us since he went to Cas, and now has shoved it in the Cas club and fans by his own stupidity or just his own sense of infallibility.



Hope he never plays RL again.

It wouldn't have to be anything that involves being close to the players. Plus anyway he's still good friends with many regardless of whether he's at this club.

100% Agree with all of that statement.





Great post.

Definitely don’t want him back in any capacity whatsoever, the club bent over backwards to accommodate his bad behavior. In the end it became too much so he had to go. We deserved to win the grand final but Hardakers suspension left a key position weakened for cas. They were all over the place when our kicks went up .

Big decision from cas as to Hardakers future. Spoke to a few cas fans, understandably they are extremely bitter about the situation. Problem for cas who will want to sign him, Salford,or Leigh perhaps?.

Are you off your trolley? We have supported this guy in the past and he walked away from the club. His negative influence, especially on the younger players, could destroy the next generation of home grown talent. Keep him well away from the club, let his so called "mates" help him out.

So if everyone turns their back on him and you wake up one day turn on the news and hear the worst case scenario, you'd be ok that we didn't at least try now?



Yes we've tried before but this is a very different situation where he's now banned from the sport, not just that he might have to move clubs if he carries on. Does he deserve the clubs help? No, but doesn't mean we shouldn't give it, as a former club we're in a much better position to do that.



Maybe jumping to the worst case scenario of a repeat of Terry Newton might seem to be going OTT to some but it is a possibility and surely we should do everything to prevent that? I'd rather we had our fingers burnt again than not try. It's only a suggestion anyway as Cas might stick by him.

I`m a big fan of Hardaker and was very sorry to see him leave.

But for all the reasons we know about he had to leave and move on hopefully to a better place where he could get his head sorted out.

It seemed to be going well for the lad with a deserved selection for MoS and a shoe in for the FB spot in the World Cup.

But once again he let everyone down with his stupid behaviour and arrogance to think he could get away with taking drugs despite all the warnings he received.

I have no idea what role Printer is suggesting back at the club that does not involve playing.

But a bad apple will turn the good uns the same way.

So why have him anywhere near the club to cause havoc.

Whilst I do not want to wake up and hear another Terry Newton story.

I certainly don`t think it is our responsibility to nurse maid him again.

There are professionals out there who can do that or let Cas do the nurse maid bit.

Maybe Cas will keep him on if he only gets a one year ban.

Do they still have to pay him his wages whilst banned or do they terminate his contract and let him go for free after the ban?

Hang on he's effectively turned HIS back on everyone who have tried helping him not the other way round.

We aren't talking about a kid who's trying to find his way after a couple of personal behaviour errors of judgement.

How many times does he after throw that support etc back in everyones face before you say enough is enough?

You can only help those who want it & who are prepared to help themselves.

There are plenty of support groups etc that he can turn to & that doesn't have to come from Leeds as a Club.

He has turned his back on those that have helped him, that doesn't mean you do the same. Taking the "not our problem" anymore position is pretty poor even with a person who doesn't necessarily deserve our help.



This isn't a case of if he screws up again he might have to find a new club, he is now banned from all rugby and admittedly all of his own doing and whilst different circumstances we've seen with Stevie Ward what it can do to not being able to play can do to you.



I'm sure entirely what role the club could have for him but surely there's something in between 'eff him not our problem and him taking Walker out on the lash every week.



It's one thing to give up on someone as a RL player, another thing to give up on them as a person even if they haven't earned it.

Not sure we owe him anything or need to get involved with the lad again in any capacity, the line was drawn once Cas paid the fee we have gone above and beyond so far in his career. If he needs help and looks for it i'm sure there will be plenty out there for him. If he decides he wants to carry on on his own path of destruction then that again is a choice he will be making off his esteem, as it is made by thousands and thousands of young men and women across the nation. Personally i think he has had more than enough chances to snap out of it and get on the straight and narrow, but like i say if he wants help now he will still have another chance to turn the corner if he so wishes.



The ball is in Zak's court, as it always has been. I genuinely still wish him well once he has served his punishment.

There is no chance of him coming back in any capacity. And rightly so.

Lets make him club ambassador. Someone for the kids to look up to and admire. Someone who can guide them through their development. Keep them on the straight and narrow. Then again maybe not! Keep well away

I know where you're coming from, and it is a very charitable stance to take. I would applaud the club tipping in to help him with any professional help he might need. But I would not want him back at the club. He is where he is, through is own actions. He needs to grow up and take responsibility for himself and his actions. He DECIDED to do Cocaine, knowing the consequences for him, the club that took him in after he screwed up at Leeds and in Aus and the fans at Cas who saw their season turned on its head as a result. He's let himself down, his club down and his country down. A couple of years grafting in the sort of jobs that those who pay to watch him do might do him a world of good and should ground him in reality if nothing else. I wish him no harm and I hope he finds his way through it, with all the help and support he needs. But he needs to be exposed to reality, learn from this experience, take responsibilty and decide to grow up.

We are a rugby club not a medical centre. Leeds did their very best to accommodate Hardaker and have no responsibility for him at all now. He is a bad apple and would only bring more trouble with him. Assuming he is found guilty and banned then he has to take the responsibility for this.



He owes Cas big time and if ever he is allowed to play RL again then he should only be allowed to play for Cas on much reduced pay until he has paid back his transfer fee.

I loved zak during his time here but wouldnt want him anywhere near the club again. I really hope he gets himself together and no harm comes to him, I dont think it will because like iv already said,i think his behavior shows the signs of a lad whos just a bit of a d**khead rather than anything more troublesome,i take printers point about the looming long term ban triggering somthing more negative in him, but if it does,then Zaks got the ability to find his own professional help and if any clubs going to support him,it should be cas,they ignored the many warning signs and bought him,he's there employee. If i got sacked tomorrow for taking drugs or attacking someone,theres no way in a million years my previous employer would take me back on just to make sure i was ok,especially if id been a pain in the backside whilst i was there,i suspect this is the case for everyone on here. I dont see why sportsmen/women should enjoy privileges us normal fans would never get if we messed up.



What job would he do here? He's a rugby player,any job we gave him away from the squad,he would be getting above people way more qualified and more than likley without any of the baggag zak brings,which would be totally unfair. He'd be getting rewarded,after all his poor choices,just incase he cant deal with the consequences of all his poor choices. It would send a terrible message imo