Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 3:12 pm  

I don't think it's a case of him not being interested in playing for Leeds. If the NRL is a no go then I think we'd be the first club he wants to play for in SL. He's obviously been tempted by the bright lights of the NRL and used some off field issue to help make it happen.

But bored of his Jeremy Kyle personal life and it doesn't help Leeds. If he's coming back to Leeds he'll obviously get the FB shirt and Sutcliffe reverts back to the halves, if not then we give it to Sutcliffe and we need to find more cover for the halves.

It's like the problem child in a class carrying on that causes all the attention to be focused on him and the rest of the class suffers as a consequence.......still it won't be the fault of Zak 'Ballotelli' Hardaker we'll hear.

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 3:18 pm  

I read an quote from Hardaker saying if it doesn't work out in the NRL this season then he'll be back at Leeds.
In hindsight he has gone at the worst possible time. His personal life in disarray, and his form, and confidence totally shot.

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:07 pm  

I think Hardaker will be back at Leeds in 2017. Which will make an interesting and tough decision to make re Sutcliffe as he's looked good at full back.

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:26 pm  

Him wrote:

I think Hardaker will be back at Leeds in 2017. Which will make an interesting and tough decision to make re Sutcliffe as he's looked good at full back.

And also probably spells the end of Ashton Golding's Leeds career.

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 5:17 pm  

Personally never thought Golding would make it as a fullback anyway, there seems to have been another change recently back to bigger stronger fullbacks, who still posses a passing game.

He could maybe make it in the halves, as I believe he played junior rugby there, but that imo would take time and a full season in that position at least to learn. Didn't he sign a new deal recently?

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 5:41 pm  

Just trying to get my head around this issue.
So Zak comes back and assumes he can walk back into the team.
If we want him back the only issue is the salary cap if we have committed elsewhere, on the assumption he has gone.
If, as I would imagine, we do not want his disruptive presence around, I guess that would be very expensive. Presumably we would have to pay him his basic contractual remuneration even though we did not register him as a player.
I gather his father has gone out with him to Aus to keep an eye on / mentor him. Perhaps this arrangement should continue if he returns.
I am just so appalled at the waste of a very talented rugby player who, with a little more application, could have been even better.
Perhaps the best solution is for Leeds to write off the transfer fee and hope he finds something in Aus and more importantly someone who can impress on him how to be professional.

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:31 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

And also probably spells the end of Ashton Golding's Leeds career.

As said by others I think he's too small/lightweight for full back. Depends if he can make the transition to half back.

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:34 pm  

Fred_Pickup wrote:

Just trying to get my head around this issue.
So Zak comes back and assumes he can walk back into the team.
If we want him back the only issue is the salary cap if we have committed elsewhere, on the assumption he has gone.
If, as I would imagine, we do not want his disruptive presence around, I guess that would be very expensive. Presumably we would have to pay him his basic contractual remuneration even though we did not register him as a player.
I gather his father has gone out with him to Aus to keep an eye on / mentor him. Perhaps this arrangement should continue if he returns.
I am just so appalled at the waste of a very talented rugby player who, with a little more application, could have been even better.
Perhaps the best solution is for Leeds to write off the transfer fee and hope he finds something in Aus and more importantly someone who can impress on him how to be professional.

"Someone who can impress on him how to be professional"......the guy has had some of the best possible teammates you could ask for in that regards with Sinfield, Peacock, JJB etc. He's had multiple c*ck ups to learn from and we still hear the yearly Hardaker drama.....if he hasn't learnt now I don't hold out much hope that he ever will.

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:37 pm  

Perhaps Zak will comeback home without an NRL club wanting his services and also realising that the grass isn't always greener elsewhere?
If Zak doesn't get offered an NRL contract this year then he's going to have to eat humble pie and look for the place he wants to ply his trade in SL for because I can't see the NRL clubs coming back for him

I would accept Zak back at the club but with serious implications for him monetary wise should he step out of line

Lets hope that he has done some serious thinking and growing up whilst he's been in Oz and comes back in the 2015 frame of mind ready to knuckle down

Golding will leave the club IMO as he simply isn't big enough or good enough for SL at present and that is why he is playing for Featherstone Rovers and hopefully giving him a pathway to the next stage of his career

Re: Hardaker benched for 80 mins today : Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:41 pm  

Baffled why people keep saying Golding to HB? Can he kick, can he pass, can he organise, can he lead?

Are we pretty much saying lets put him there because he can run in a wirey, lightweight way?.....Because if that's the sole reason (and I can't see any other) then that's not enough for a SL club especially one hoping to get back to challenging for trophies next year.

Kind of daft reasoning that sees the likes of a Golding type player usually get picked before a Lilley type player who has no real speed at HB.