Regardless of the rights or wrongs, I'm increasingly feeling that we've already seen the best of Zak in a Leeds shirt. Perhaps any shirt.

Indeed.

And I repeat, Leon Pryce is still playing in SL.

bleacherreport.com/articles/8870 ... fl-history Now this is a sport that knows a thing or two about bad boys.

bleacherreport.com/articles/8870 ... fl-history Now this is a sport that knows a thing or two about bad boys.

In another twist, and maybe Minchella's dad can help with this, as he doesn't seem to be posting, although maybe understandable. I am led to believe that the club were aware of this incident three weeks ago, when the person "allegedly" assaulted, reported it to the club. The police at that time were still deciding if it was worth pursuing.

The club, as they have done many times in the past, especially with the likes of Bailey and Delaney, decided it best just to let it lie, unless something came up. When it came up last week they took the action they did.

It is an hypocritical way to work if true, but no doubt repeated by all clubs I would guess.

Also seems strange why the police, would release photos to the media, when the person "allegedly" assaulted told them from day one about the Rhinos players.

Of course the above is actually assuming it is them after all this. Maybe they say it isn't them.

I'd imagine the police are looking for witnesses, hence releasing the pics.
IF the club had only received an uncorroborated complaint I wouldn't really expect them to act in public.
Confronted by photographic evidence that placed two players - or their doppelgangers - at the scene then I'd expect a different reaction.
Not hypocritical in my book.

I know what you mean but I still think he's daft to be out that late during the season. I don't think anyone would have a problem with any of the players going out on a night and having a few drinks. But the bit where maturity, responsibility and professionalism would kick in is around half 11/midnight. Around then he should be thinking "hang on, I'm a pro RL player and the season has just started, maybe I'd best go home". Staying out til half 2 is a drinking binge not just a few drinks. Which I don't care if he does in the off-season (as long as its not often enough to affect his fitness) but when the season starts he needs to switch on. It's the price he pays for playing the sport he loves for a living.

I don't think its the crime of the century (staying out late) but it's just a tad disappointing from a top player. And I think that alone sums up Hardaker ie a bit daft.

Hello Gotcha, you're right it's best I keep a bit quiet. Understandably lots of speculating what's happened and what's not happened

Wouldn't any other witnesses have been there thus been captured on cctv too thus why weren't their pictures shown? From what I recall the article wasn't asking for witnesses merely if anybody could identify the two men.

I agree with you on the part about what could the club realistically done. I would imagine the club asked the two players about but I doubt they sat there grinning like Cheshire cats admitting it. They'll have said it wasn't them or possibly that the lad took the first shot (remember the Billy Slater incident outside a nightclub at the start of the 2013 WC)......so what then? Discipline them on the say so of a student with little/no evidence.

Also on the drinking front. Whilst the odds are pretty strong that they will be been......there's no evidence that they had a drink or at least enough to be drunk.

It seems to me that Leeds did the right thing. In the first instance you should always seek to support and protect your employees. Leeds have a good record of doing this. I'm sure there are allegations involving rugby players all the time. You can't just react without evidence.

It also seems to me that Zac is rather unfortunate. His various misdemeanours don't really add up to very much at all. I mean giving a student a couple of black eyes is hardly worth all this fuss. (If it had been done by another student for example, would the guy have gone to the police? Not a chance)

The thing is, and this is where I think Leeds did slip up, they should have just played him against Warrington anyway. Taking him out of the game seems like an admission of guilt.

I'm betting that Zak's future is firmly at Leeds. It will all be forgotten in a few years time. I've never understood why sports stars are expected to be role models. Expecting rugby players, people who let's face it hit people hard for a living, to be Cistercian monks off the field is really a bit daft.

Having said that - I hope he's still missing on Friday!!!

Nobody expects sports stars to behave like Cistercian monks.

What they do expect though is that they are held to the same standard of behaviour as the fans in the stands would be by their employers.

If I smacked someone and ended up with my face (and my employer's details) plastered all over the local media as someone suspected of assault, I'm pretty sure my employer would be taking disciplinary action. Particularly if it wasn't the first time my conduct had reflected badly on them in public.

They might do. But you don't play Rugby at the highest level. You aren't (probably) worth all that much to your employer (I'm not either by the way!).

If I went into Leeds and smacked a student around, you would probably never hear of it, and neither would my employer. It certainly wouldn't be plastered all over the media. You've got to admit that Zak is unfortunate in that respect.

Zak is a valuable commodity for Leeds. There aren't that many capable of doing his job. And that's why he's treated differently to you or I. All things considered I think that is fair.

Whenever stuff like this happens I find comparisons to people with 'normal' jobs a bit out of place tbh.

If you got sacked for assaulting somebody and being in trouble with the police over it, I imagine it would hamper your chances of getting another job. Whereas Hardaker would just stroll into another team here in SL that was challenging for trophies, with no heat on the club for signing him whereas if we kept him we'd get heat for it.

For arguments sake were we left with little choice but to get rid of Hardaker.....then the club would be punished more than the individual for his actions.

One of the issues for the club that may come back to bite them is that they set high store on a person's character.
So if for reasons of expediency they decide to keep Hardaker & to select him to play, which they are entitled to do unless he's remanded in custody, what messages does that send out to the rest of the players?
It is really difficult to adopt & maintain the high moral ground in these cases.
Another reason why GH & McDermott may feel particularly let down.

That's a very good point.