That's not technically true. Possession and dealing of class A's are both illegal, but having them in your system isn't.

Good post

Not written in the press? Every episode going back a few years now is followed by a "I want to change" interview afterwards.

Beltin interview with SW on Wigan TV where he states that Higginson will be considered for the Widnes game. Sounds like the lad has responded well to not going on the Aussie which is great hear.

IF we sign Hardaker, it will only be a matter of time before he lets us down. The number of indiscretions over a number of years says he’s had plenty of chances to prove he’s grown up or wants to change. He clearly either won’t or can’t. We need to stay well clear and start to learn from previous mistakes like re-signing Hock.

Firstly I’m not claiming to know him personally. I do however know a lot of people that have coached him, and played with him I in both his amateur and professional career.

I was also whiteness to him telling a group of 9 year old kids, many of whome were Leeds fans but wearing the colours of a Wakefield amateur club to putting it politely “Go away” when they asked for a photo with him prior to a Wakefield Leeds game, every other Leeds player that was asked was happy to oblige.

I’m also aware of more than one situation where he has done wrong and been assisted by his respective club to make it go away rather than be appropriately punished.

Speaking to people who have coached him I am told his issues started to occur around the time the pro clubs and rep youth teams started to take a real interest in him. It became attitudinal and he started to believe his own hype.

I think it is admirable that he wants to change, but how many times does he have to be given before he makes that change. There comes a point in life where you have to take accountability for your own actions rather than blaming circumstances and social circles and say I will change. There have been many occasions where he has had the opportunity to correct his behaviour and sort himself out but he has failed to do so.

We all have issues in our private lives, we all have stresses and have to cope with them, and yes we all make mistakes but to consistently repeat a negative behavioural pattern without really taking responsibility for it and learning from it shows in my opinion he is unlikely to change.

I genuinely hope I am wrong, he is clearly a very talented lad but at the same time let’s not pretend he hasn’t acted in a way that has brought this upon himself after many many opportunities to change, some of which were so big they became public knowledge but others that were able to be dealt with by Leeds in particular but also Cas to endure they got him on the field regardless.

Itchy I agree with your comments, if i had done one of the misdemeanors that Hardaker has been found guilty of I would be sacked, and I would receive little sympathy. Having a natural talent at sport seems to give some sportstars a free ticket to behave with little or no moral judgement.

Its often quoted that Rugby League is the sport of the working classes, is it wrong to expect the players to conform to the standards that 99% of the working population have to adhere to every day .

Hardaker has been sacked!

I’m playing Devils advocate here. In the scenario you mention above, you would possibly be sacked but you would not be prevented from ever working again. You’d be able to get another job once any punishment had been served.

Why should it be any different for an athlete? Hardaker has stepped out of line several times and has been duly punished by the the powers that be. Whether that’s a suspension or on this occasion dismissal from his post. It would be completely wrong to say he should never be allowed to ply his trade again.

Spot on really. People get sacked and probably have to move into another job that more than likely pays less.

That's ZH's current situation.

Im not saying he should be prevented from working again, I am asking why should a rugby player be allowed more freedom to behave inappropriately than say a binman, dinner lady, shop worker etc does talent escuse any misbehaviour?

I’m not sure they are though? A binman who gets sacked from one local authority would be able to apply for a job in another local authority. I’d say the only professions where you wouldn’t be able to apply the same skills would be if u were sacked from the police, fire service, military etc.(I’m sure there’ll be many others).

Hardaker has a particular set of skills which employers crave. Once his punishment is served, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect he will be employed to utilise those skills. As others have said, we’re not the only club who would be interested in employing him.

We seem to be equating sacked with struck off. Rugby league is not the same as being a doctor or teaching. In fact the law is very clear that unless you have it written into your code of conduct/operational rules simply blackballing someone is an offence. Hardacker can be penalised only in as far as the codes of the game allow and if a club want to hire him when he has served his ban it is up to them. Anything else would be restriction of trade. I just hope that we do not want to hire him.