A shiner seems to me to be a very personal issue.

I'd say that's down to Atkins and not McNamara.

But if it's a genuine personal issue why do need the full details?

the trouble is after the way the graham and co episode was handled people are going speculate.RL craves exposure but the england coach wants 10 second interviews with no searching questions the guy needs to lighten up.

Simples, the England statement should have read something along the lines of.

Zak Hardaker has decided to withdraw from the England squad for personal issues. This is NOT disciplinary issues. The England camp request Zak be given privacy during this time.

It's really not rocket science, i mean who is Englands PR guy, Mcnamara? I just think the statements England have release do no one any furthers. If Hardaker has been on the pop AGAIN, he should be named and shamed. Mcnamara fields a couple of questions, he looks like a man in charge and we move on. Two weeks now this has been going on. If he hasn't been on the pop again (which i'll be honest looks unlikely) then they have just exposed him to endless speculation.

Also i think Mcnamara owes Tanya Arnold an apology as he basically accused her of lying and making stuff up, and then acted like a child when interviewed post game,

Spot on

The RL journos are, by and large, clueless idiots who do not deserve the time of day. There are some honourable exceptions.

But do you [ireally [/i think if McNamara had given another of the usual tedious RL press conferences that would have ended in any sort of exposure whatsoever? That's the paradox I don't get: journos will get more column inches from him walking out than they would ever get from him actually answering the questions. I can understand them wanting answers but I can't understand the "oh, we all want to get pieces printed and not answering won't help" line.

Personal issues my ar&e, turning upto to a WC camp and treating it like an 18-30 holiday doesn't count as 'personal issues'

Load of crap. He was at Thorpe Park Hotel and Spa with the rest of the squad Wednesday night. He was still with the squad Saturday morning at the hotel, and he had no shiner.

Well said that man! How hard would it have been to put out that statement.

Especially agree with the Tanya Arnold point.

I wonder if Tanya will have another go at the question this week or do we reckon that Steve will just refuse to do any media this week?

Yeah I'm sure if England RL had put out a statement with the word "NOT" in capital letters that would've stopped alll the questions and speculation............no, really!

Gotta love the PR geniuses on here.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

The rfl statement says that hardaker asked to leave so why would they need to clarify that it was NOT for disaplinary issues?