Hardaker has been the difference for Cas this year, he's the one who's given Gale the space to think, and sorted out the defence. Without Hardaker (or another international standard full back), I can't see Cas winning as many next season because they generally rely on fast flowing open play to score which usually starts from their full back

Yes Gale definitely won the hide and seek competition today, I’m sure Leeds will admit that they weren’t at their best, but Cas were awful. Worst grand final game I’ve watched. Regarding Hardaker, the comments he’s made to fellow professionals in the past, it couldn’t have happened to a better person

Tbf it was the worst grand final ever, cas were crap

Its a team game, the hardaker thing is just 1 factor in a long list, the idea that the result is all down to him or gale is daft.
We should know that better than anyone.
The writing was on the wall weeks ago, with or without hardaker, with or without Gale, they just haven't been hitting their own sweet spot for a while.
The nature of a GF and how you get there dictates that the best team by a country mile over the season, may not win the cigar, which is a bit naff if you ask me, but thats the way it is.

We lost Chase-cas are knackered next year everything goes through Chase

We lost Clarke-cas are going to miss the easy metres he makes from dummy half next year

We lost Denny-cas won't score as many tries as last year.

You don't learn do you?

Daft?
Hardaker's absence not only as a star player but also as part of a team that was majorly disrupted only 48 hours before a massive
game was a major factor IMO - the team had to be switched round and the gameplan will have been out of the window.

To say it wasn't a factor is daft - coupling with the fact that Gale is a pivotal part of that side who simply didn't turn were 2 very
major factors indeed.

OK so Cas were just crap!

Hardaker was a great replacement for Dorn but, with more pace and agility.
One player doesn't make a team but, the disruption caused by his absence, at short notice, certainly cost Cas any chance of winning yesterdays game.
The biggest shock was that the bookies kept Cas as favourites, which helped the odds on a Leeds win

I disagree. Men of Steel rarely back up the season after to anywhere near the previous seasons form. Gale has been crap for many years, he may swagger next season but he could all too well look very foolish.

Gale Once is fringe (Head) returns back to normal after is man of steel award he may realise he is not a god. I am sure the Aussies will test how good he really is if he his selected? Swagger or no swagger

Leeds completely shut him down yesterday by dealing with the Cas pack. He'll get even less space off the Aussies.

Tip my hat to Leeds on a well executed game plan but unfortunately Cas did not make a match of it and for me resulted in a poor spectacle for the neutral. So I sway towards agreeing it was a terrible Grand Final.

To be fair to Gale no halfback would have had much chance behind the Cas pack yesterday, they were beyond terrible and bossed all game. Couple it with the fact that he is ovviuosly not fully fit after his operation then its no surprise he looked, and was, poor. Ben Roberts was every bit as bad as him if not worse and that followed up from him having a nightmare in the semi final as well. If you want to look for a bottle job look there.

I didn't say it wasn't a factor, I said it was one of a number of factors, and yeah, to blame that entire team performance on hardakers absence is definitely daft, heck, he could have broke down in the warm up just before the game.

That on its own does not explain that performance

Having an opinion isn't daft as we will never know what difference he would have made.
Simple as that.