This

I said as much in an earlier thread....the danger signs are there. The club seems more interested in hanging onto past glories in the shape of the older incumbents at the expense of the younger better future of the club.

Kearney is not a bad player, but would be another step backwards (Aiton is the first - Leeds looking more and more like an average SL team).

Losing Hardaker would be a heavy blow, whilst we still have McGuire, Bailey, Lleulai, Kirke et all

The latest goss about Zak is...

He was out and about (in bars) and got caught up in a brawl with another Rugby player from the Championship. I dont know who. Zak got a considerable beating leaving his face not ideal for TV viewing.

Simple as that

Still be an improvement on Westwood!

And that rumour is asbolute gash. I read that from others about it being Wednesday night.

I know for a fact, having seen him on Saturday morning before the bus arrived at the hotel, that he had no bruising on his face.

Your rumour may well have happened at some point, not disputing that one, but it didn't happen in the last week, as the rumours go.

The rumours of coke testing....drinking...fighting....will all circulate until it's nipped in the bud with an announcement of rough details.

From Mac interview he hardly seems close to Zak, you'd think he'd be straight on the phone to him or asking his other team mates who are close to him.

I think the Leeds response to all this has been an absolute disgrace to be honest.

The rumours circulated on Sunday, and a confirmed withdrawal on Monday afternoon. It is now Wednesday, and the only time the Leeds club have commented has been in response to interviews, with mixed views. The club have left the kid out to dry throughout all these rumours.

Compare and contrast to that g0be at Salford, who rightly or wrongly, was very quick in coming out in support of their player.

If you were Hardaker or another player to be honest, you would seriously question the support of the club with this regards. They have no need to give details, they should just issue a statement that supports the kid and clear up idle gossip, and leave it at that. The only statement on the club website has been the England one.

Zak does come across as the stereotypical big daft lad,if the rumours of leaving are true unless he leaves for a top 5 club he's taking a backward step.
Not saying it's discipline or drink related as I dont know but as an aside why do people throw their careers down the toilet for the sake of a p*ss up?

Did you think maybe what you have suggested Leeds should have done has happened in house? Leeds perhaps have poker faced the situation. Zak asked for privacy. Leeds haven't added fuel to the fire unlike Salford who made an embarrassing situation worse by defending the undefendable.

I imagine he has been given support in house. Issuing a statement to the press is hardly great support. No one really knows what these personal issues are, maybe the club are helping him through these issues without the need for public statements. Also this appears different to the hock issue, who was himself very vocal, whereas hardaker has asked for privacy so maybe the club are just respecting his wishes

not really they are terribly unstable because of there height.

Hopefully not a real one? Just a chavy range rover sport

In straight-batting this in public Leeds have played it well IMO.

If they had said that they knew all about it and were working with the player, then they would have just faced further pressure to give more details which they couldn't do without disregarding the player's wish for privacy.

Much easier to just say that they don't know anything, at least until after Hardaker himself makes his statement tomorrow.