...and if either of those statements were written by Hardaker or McDermott I'll be on the cover of next months Weight Watchers magazine as slimmer of the month.

Standard statement written by the Rhinos PR machine to appease those with some overzealous, missed-place sense of social morality.

This now proves that there was no homophobic intent in his comments as we all know Monaghan's sexual orientation... woof!!

Thank Christ for that. Can we move on now please.

Or to pre-empt a potential 5 to 8 match ban.

Of course it was written by the media department, I'd be very worried if it wasn't!

I don't think its an overzealous, miss-placed sense of social morality at all. He said something stupid in the public domain.

Of course he isn't homophobic, but he said a homophobic thing. He's a big daft lad.

He's apologised and is being dealt with accordingly. Everybody should now move on.

Spoil sport!

yeah...he's massive.

Seems the people of Twatter won't move on.

Some of them even suggesting that statement is Rhinos saying it's OK to abuse players rather than Referee's?!

Surely Hardaker is clarifying who the insult was aimed at and nothing else?!

He may not be believed of course. That will depend on whether James Child thought the abuse was directed his way. Michael Weyman at HKR tried to convince the disciplinary that he too was abusing a player rather than the ref but the disciplinary didn't believe him and banned him for abusing the ref. We only know from Zak's statement that James Child was offended by what he heard not whether he thought the abuse was targeted at him.

Wrong Monaghan Fat Boy

Btw I don't think your fatness alone will put people off kidnapping you judging by this post

Do you know what Weyman said at all? I haven't seen it anywhere what words he used, just that it was said to the referree, and proven.

I only ask as you appear content with his 2 match ban.

We know Harkaker didn't say what he said to the ref. Yet you want a 5-8 game ban.

And you say this isn't team related, rather than incident?

He called the ref an effing c**t (missing letters are 'un'). That's in the judgement on the RFL site. Weyman claimed he said it to an opposition player. Ref claimed he said it to him (ref). Ref was believed. There was no sound track to the incident.


I didn't say that. But that is what the sanction is for homophobic abuse of the referee. It's a Grade E to F which is 5 to 8 matches.

Wrong Monaghan brother, unless you know something we don't lol

You're wrong there SaintsFan. Weyman claimed he said it to his own player (Graeme Horne) after Horne called him stupid for giving the penalty away. Horne backed up Weymans claim at the hearing but the panel still chose to believe the ref. I wonder if it Monaghan would support Zac and say that the homophobic comment was aimed at him and if the panel would believe him.

Im not sure Hardaker is clarifying he said it Monaghan as opposed to the Ref. Simply that he was saying it MM and thats why he was apologising to him. Its a good apology and doesnt seek to mitigate or deny the hurt or power in the words he used or his mistake in using them. Good on him