A bit over the top this and I think an over simplification. I've watched all Cas games and I think there is more to this than the tackling of Leigh/Wire/Leeds. They are showing better attacking skills than any side I can remember since Wigan when they had Edwards/Paul/Offiah etc. For once Sky are getting excited for a reason.

Are Salford an excellent side too ?

If you watched Gale on the touch screen after we beat you he admitted he didn't call the moves. In previous years it been Dorn but Hardaker calls all the shots now from the back. Not some thing I thought he'd have the brains to do but it seems to b working for us.

How do you know we weren't? Maybe he chose Cas over us. But I'll indulge you...

Because we would have struggled to get him under the cap without having to change things around a lot.

Because Leeds wanted a fee more than most people would reckon is a fair amount for him.

Because there was (is) a view that he might be a liability (off the field).

On the face of it, at the moment you would say we, and others, made the wrong call not doing all we could to accommodate him. This time last year, we were saying the same (in reverse) about Chrissie Sandow...

Hes living with his mother apparently in Ferry bridge which is barely 2 miles from the Cas ground.I think a big part of it is keeping his head together and living as stress free as possible as he's had his problems.

I have not seen Salford this season so can't give you an opinion on them. I would remind you that the Warrington side of 2016, including Chris Sandow during his golden period, beat Salford by a solitary point in injury time.

I respond in bullet point form.

*Maybe he did choose Cas but with the utmost respect to them I'd like to think he'd choose last years LLS winners and finalists in both major comps.

*Do you not think we need to change things around a lot ? The 3/4 line needs major surgery IMO.

*if you want quality you have to pay for it and Hardaker is quality, it's not as if we've ducked away from paying transfer fees before.

*Mmm liabilities off the field ?? Who could we have possibly signed like that ? Sullivan, Sandow, Joel Monaghan?

Hardaker would have been an absolute asset, and when players like that become available you should look to get them on board.. Obviously Mr Smith thinks Russell,Evans and Blythe were the way to go.

Hang on a minute there. Have you ignored the fact that they were playing us? Any team looks"classy" against the Rhinos. Just a match with a team playing with enthusiasm and commitment against a disinterested rabble.

Super league has become a much more tighter competition the past few years, we have seen teams such as Huddersfield, Cas and Hull challenge the status quo. The main challenge comes when/if injuries it, against Cas we had Ratchford, Gidley, Hill and Currie out and there was eight points in it. If you were to remove Hardaker, Gale, Lynch and that Kiwi McMeeken and us at full strength then that outcome is vastly different and they would struggle in most games, I believe we win the Catalan game at full strength also. It's a long season and all teams will hit an injury crisis at some point.

McMeeken is a Londoner isn't he? Rather than a Kiwi?

Close. Born in Basingstoke then played at London Broncos.

Apologies, I meant to write Mike, autocorrect in full effect

How much things change in 7 months.

The only constant is lefty was as unimpressed by Cas then as he is now.

As usual, sc on the wind up.

Go on then, I'm game. Where did I say I was unimpressed by Cas. I didn't.
Merely the malaise in SL weekly games. The clubs' lack of tackling.
Leeds didn't allow Cas to fling the ball about, tonight. Hang on they did. IN THE LAST 2-3 MINUTES, when the game was won, and Cas got over the line, twice. BRILLIANT. That's 50% of the game, defending. About time some teams realised this.

Now. If only someone could relay this information to the English side in the World Cup, and to Wire next season, the world would be a happier place.

Defend and tackle properly, and you stand a chance
Don't do this, and you get steamroller.

HTH

The form was there last week for anyone who took notice...
Leeds beat a great Hull side.
Cas got very lucky against a shat St's side.
So was the result a shock? Not on your Nelly.