It makes me laugh when he says "I worked really hard for this" as part of his defense.
After a defeat like they had, the team has come out a couple of times and said they are ashamed, and that they want to put it right and that they have a siege mentality now.
Wandering in to training after a 10 minute swim and a medical check up might not seem bad in isolation but it is when you put it in context.
Whether he thinks he has worked really hard or not.....he is clearly not taking it as seriously as anyone else in the team.
If I were coach I would ceratinly not have played him. To kick him out is simply a management style question, and is only fair to Ferris that he gets the benefit rather than still letting Hock sit in the back ground receiving the reflected glory of any win that comes our way.

Should those other 6 or 7 players who also went out on the lash be omitted from the team this Saturday?

If so, it'll make the 17 very easy to select.

That'll be 17 from 17 available then

Nobody gives a $h1t mate

You really aren’t the brightest tool in the box are you. Of course it stinks of bad management, irrespective of what it was that Gareth Hock had done it has been handled in an extremely poor manner by the England management. As it turns out he missed a 10 minute warm down session on Sunday morning, now tell me that this whole fiasco has been worth it because of that. Yes he has breached the rules and should be punished accordingly (management believe that punishment is expulsion from the squad – fair enough, i’m not disputing that), but they should have gone about it in a much more professional and appropriate manner. This way can only have a detrimental effect on the players, coaches and fans.

To be honest, I wouldn't even mind if the captain or one of the team leaders took a bunch of players out for a few drinks and food to build team spirit after an embarrassing loss.
I've read about that happeneing in more than one autobiography
As coach I'd even accept it and not say anything if I found out. The problem is when it goes wrong you have to suffer the consequences.

He starts off by saying he missed a 10 min swim. Then later in the same piece says and a medical. So he cant even get his story straight when he is trying to defend himself!!

Plus drip feeding the "truth" is what you did when you was 5, not a 30 year old man!

so how much did he sell his story this time? the guy is a mercenary and has brought bad press to what is an important time for rugby league in Britain.

I agree with everything the management team (who I feel are a joke usually fwiw) have done in this case. Druggie Hock doesn't make up the rules and had he done nothing wrong then the 'fiasco' would have been avoided. In which way would you have handled this different ??? I think getting rid of the bad apple helps no end tbh.

As you must be the sharpest tool in the box could you explain why I'm wrong ..... You say that it's stupid to comment until full facts are known.... Then comment that it's management that's wrong without knowing full facts without one criticism of Salfords druggie player.... Hmmm I'd rather be the bluntest tool in the box than not even in the box my Manc friend

I agree. It's not simply the fact that they had some drinks that's the problem. It's that he couldn't get himself to scheduled team activities the next day. He seems to be the only one who couldn't do that. Even if Hock's behavior had been the same as others, then his past record likely puts him on a shorter leash.

There is no evidence of him taking any responsibility for his actions in his statements.

For me Hock has cocked up big time. He broke a drinking ban and missed a recovery swimming session and medical. He may not be the only one to break the beer ban, but he went that step further and whilst it seems to me a coach can turn a blind eye to a few drinks after a crappy game, you can't turn a blind eye to missing squad sessions.

However, I can't help thinking this could have been handled differently. Meet the offence with an embarrassing and costly punishment: make Hock train in a mankini, give him extra drills (nasty stuff he'll hate), make him do the squad's washing, or pay for dinner, or give everyone else in the squad unlimited use of his phone for a day, whatever! - then make him stand up apologise to everyone. And hit him with a fine on top of that. Make an example of him but use it as positively as possible.

I recall other RL and RU videos have shown forfeits for breaches of squad rules and etiquette with bizarre and embarrassing punishments. Missing squad sessions is extremely serious where professional sport is concerned but the response and punishment can be well managed.

This World Cup is in danger is surpassing 2008 as a disaster and it's not even started. McNamara (and the senior players) need to do a fantastic recovery and damage limitation job this week.

So he himself is supporting the allegation that he was involved in a series of breaches in discipline! ?