Zero sympathy. The lad is a first rate 5h1thouse.

He's had every chance throughout his career. Well done to the Sleeve for getting shut when we did.

Off season use normally carries a lesser ban than in season use.

Zak provisionally suspended from all RL competition until confirmation of test result which indicates the B test results aren't through yet. Once B test results are through if still found to be in breach it should be a mandatory 2 year ban, this can either be increased to 4 years or reduced due to mitigating circumstances.

Well he's not denying it in his statement (only that he has never used Performance Enhancing Drugs) so pretty nailed on that the B sample will be positive too.

Feel sorry for the Cas players and Powell, what a way for the biggest game of their lives to be screwed up by one individual who already had the luxury of a few winners rings. Can you imagine if the same happened two days before the 2015 GF and we ending up losing?

Idiot, idiot, idiot.

Shame to see someone ruin their life like this.

Being completely practical, that £150000 we got for him is looking like the greatest deal in RL history.

Looks like the Leeds management got rid at the right time. Also a majority of posters on here correctly forecast that sooner or later he would screw up. Unfortunately for cas it was sooner. Felt sorry for cas apparently they could only have one training session without Hardaker in the line up. Cas are a decent club they deserved better from Hardaker.

Does everybody get tested after each game?
Why do players ever take a chance with banned substances?
Isn't alcohol enough?
Or are they so stupid/arrogant to believe "I can do whatever I want & I'll always get away with it"?
Contrast Hardaker with Stevie Ward.
Poles apart.

Spot on with the Hardaker/ward comparison. Ward has been unlucky with injuries, whilst Hardaker has had relatively few major injuries.

So now Cas know how the bloke who paid £160k for Jimmy Savilles Rolls felt a few months later....

I thought the first time it wasnt even made public? Barba was his second offence and he only got 12 games, so how can Hardaker get 2 years for the same offence?

This is a tragedy - such a talented player, how to stop him self-destructing has to be priority.

A couple of differences that make all the difference (though in my opinion it should be the same).

1 - Barba was caught after taking it on Mad Monday, so it was out of competition and therefore not deemed as performance enhancing. Hardaker has been caught post game, in season

2 - Barba was caught by the NRLs internal testers, not WADA (or their local branch ASADA in Aus), so he only faces the sports internal sanctions. Hardaker has been caught during competition by the UKADA, similar to Gareth Hock, so faces the full wrath and mandatory suspensions imposed by WADA

As for why he would do it - because he's stupid! But also, the clubs know about these issues and actively promote certain nutritional advise for cleaning out your system within 48 hours, so it's not a problem restricted to one or two individuals, but few would be stupid enough to do it within the timescales that would show up on match day. Maybe he just didn't drink enough orange juice to clear his system.

Different ruling bodies and different sporting bodies ASADA / UKAD, NRL / RFL

No sympathy for zak what so ever,taking recreational drugs,drinking and getting into his fair share of fights isnt a sign he's in a dark place and needs help and support to get through it,ithousands and thousands of lads and lasses up and down the country do the exact same every weekend,they all arnt in need of help and support,its just what people do these days. The difference for zak is that his career and his teammates who are supposed to be his "bro's" careers depend on him not doing it,for me its just a sign that he's a stupid,selfish lad who deserves whatever punishment he gets.

Its a shame for castleford, £150000 is a big outlay for any club and regardless of how long a ban he gets im not sure how you integrate him back into the cas squad,he might or might not of made a difference saturday night but im sure theres a lot of cas fans,officials,coaching staff and most impotantly players who think they would of won if they'd had his playing talent on the field and didnt have his distraction off it. Im not sure how they forgive him and most importantly for the players,trust him going forward. Theres going to be nobody queing up to give them even close to there money back if they decide theyr best rid.

From a leeds point of view its been brilliant buissness getting £150000 when we did.

I have little sympathy for Hardaker, he's had plenty of chances to reform, but he persists in testing the tolerance boundaries of his employers and their fans. He has let everyone at Cas, Team mates, DP, fans and those who provide the funds, down. Even a big dumb unit like ZH knows the consequences of getting caught taking recreational drugs, yet he chose to take the risk and sod the consequences for those that depended on him to behave like a professional. After his numerous brain farts at Leeds, he should have grabbed the lifeline DP and the Cas board threw him and repaided them by sorting himself out.

The people I have genuine sympathy for are all those associated with Cas Tigers. They gave him their support and a chance to show his incredible talent. He repaid them by letting them down massively.

I agree with those that said GH getting £150K for the walking talking calamity waiting to happen that is ZH, was good business. Well done to the Sleeve.