You obviously don't know me. I would not defend him to the hilt he was a saints player making homophobic comments. I wouldn't defend any player for that sort of thing.

Read my posts regarding him gouging, I backed him so pretty clear I've no vendetta against him at all. I don't care if they don't ban him for it but he needs a to stop doing these things for the clubs reputation, for the reputation of rugby league and more importantly for his own reputation.

If he said what people are accusing him of saying the RFL should ban him.

In his defence he can't help being thick.

I don't know you but I have my doubts, though I will take your word.

Lets remember here that this discussion has been brought about by Friday's events, which I do not think are in any way shape or form anything like Zaks previous indiscretion. So lets spare everyone the hyperbole about the reputation of rugby league. If rugby league's reputation survived intact from Sean Long and Martin Glesson's years at Saints it will survive Zak Hardarker's indiscretions in a heart beat.

Following Zaks one and only confirmed hompobia related indiscretion he spent some time with the Canalsiders and did a great deal to repair the reputation of rugby league.

It's strange that he's got gay men on the brain while playing isn't it ?

Had an opponent twisted my leg like that I would have called him a f###ing prick, and a few other things besides.

All part of the game.

What an odd thing to assume. Wishful thinking on your part?

Its probably an example of how the game has gone soft when a spat is seen this way, just have a look on Utube with Senior decking Wilkin, plenty of words said there.

Isn't it interesting that had Hardaker called whomever a f*cking c*nt or tw*t or even pr*ck, nothing would have been said.
Similar to the industrial language allegedly used by Jimmy Anderson.
What a bizarre world we live in.
Alleged homophobia must be worse than misogyny or language demeaning to women.

I wouldn't worry too much if I was Zak. It's just a few jealous fans from other teams stirring cos we've got a pot in the bag already this season. I didn't see threads this long when a certain player stuck a glass in someone's face or kicked a door in with his mate to frighten a woman and children to death. There's also the flying wingman who glassed a girl in a nightclub and the lad who kicked someone senseless with a gang of mates who is still playing out at Hull. That people are still bitching on about Zak's indiscretion says a lot about certain posters.

It's all a bit of a storm in a tea cup IMO but considering he has previous for homophobic remarks he doesn't seem to have learned from his past mistakes whether he said 'fu****ng Pr*** or P*ff' (insert depending on which club you support) he certainly didn't help his cause by blowing a kiss because we all know what he was insinuating by this & if any case is brought against him that finds him guilty I am afraid he won't be playing for Leeds again until 2015, which would be a harsh lesson for name calling in the heat of the moment.

But if he has said "pr**k" or "pervert" or something other than "puff" then surely he has learnt his lesson from before not to use certain language?

Unless now we are saying it's unacceptable for him to blow a mock kiss to another player and not say any word in anger which could be potentially lip read as something else......that is what the kind of walking on egg shells situation it has become and it's pretty ridiculous.

But surely you must accept that if one bloke 'blows a sarcastic kiss' to another bloke the said remark accompanying it more than likely makes a reference to his sexuality. The same as if another driver gives you the two fingers salute you don't need to be Einstein to guess what he is saying behind the windscreen.

So you're prepared to convict a man based on what YOU think he might have said in relation on his prior actions?

I'm guessing here, and it is just purely a guess here mind, that you don't work in the legal sector?

If rumours of a squirrel grip are true then the word pervert is just as likely as puff IMO. Perhaps if the same people who Vined the lip reading clip did the same for the tackle we might know more but they obviously aren't interested in that part.



Could be a selection of things. D**k, T**t, To**er, Wa**er, Ar**hole, Pr**k, Kn**head...........same as the Hardaker incident really, unless you were in the car with the driver and heard what he said can you really be sure which it was?

They're not. There is no physical way there could be given the way hardaker was tackled. Twisted ankle (deliberate or accidental) possibly, but Flanaghan didn't get any higher than the knee.

I don't remember the same outrage from saints fans when leon pryce squirrel gripped burgess in the CC semi 2007.

If that was hardaker there'd be people claiming sexual assault.

Same way as he couldn't possibly have said anything other than puff according to some?

Like I said, interesting people haven't bothered posting a possible squirrel grip/ankle twist video to complete the tale.

Seem to remember Peacock needed a season ending ban for an alledged ankle twist on Clark several weeks ago.

Not at all! I've done it before for with the meaning quite clearly being f*ck you. But as for Hardaker or any other player getting band on a "more than likley" fan based witch hunt is total BS. What about that grub Mick Monahan's attempt to dilberatley knock Sinfield out in the GF by head butting him. More than likley he did it but was there any action? No!

Because one doesn't justify the other? Even if Flanaghan did twist his ankle, even deliberately, the reaction isn't suitable or acceptable IF it's what he said. It's not my place to say one way or the other whether he did, but he's a silly boy for putting himself in the position of being at the mercy of the twitter jury ... Again ...

If it is a squirrel grip then the words "fu**ing pervert" are more than understandable and justified. Just because you don't think it was a squirrel grip doesn't mean it wasn't, that holds as much weight as any Leeds fan saying Hardaker DEFINATELY DIDN'T say puff (which even I admit is a possibility, but not a certainty)



So players need to watch their actions and language for fear of the twitter mob, oh what this game has come to. Had a London or Wakey player been in the same position this weekend as Hardaker it would barely register a murmur on RLFans even you must admit that. That's where the doubting of peoples true motives come into play.

But no London or Wakefield player has previously served a 5 game ban for a similar offence.

Neither had Zak before his "first" offence but it still happen

Doesn't anybody remember Batemen giving JP the verbals then blowing him a kiss? I think it was when JP choked him for insolence.

You are right I don't work in the legal sector but we are talking about rugby league here not the law of the land. And previous offences are taken into account in rugby league were as in a court this is not the case.

Why do you think Gareth Hock got such a lengthy ban for colliding with a referee?

Yes you guessed right again, because of his previous...