Can’t see that being an issue, he’s there problem now, contract was signed long ago

Cas players?

I have to be ambiguous, unlikely I know that anything would come of it, but still. I’ll just say it’s a player close enough for me to 150% believe it.

With McDermott's non use of subs, we've basically been practicing this scenario for years. Ward won't be100%, but if we can get just 10 or 15 effective minutes, it could be the difference.

It's incredible the commitment and forward planning that BMcD puts into these big games

What's the betting he ends up having to use all 17 tomorrow to scupper his years of planning..?!

Warrior Mentality.

With all the hurrumph over hardaker there's been very little discussion on the game itself.

I think to win, we'll need to keep cas to 2 scores or less and Watkins will need to be 100%.

It's hard to see us doing that as cas have cut through our defense at will this season. One of the keys will be how we handle cas when they are on top, busting holes, getting quick ptb and moving the ball quick. That purple patch has basically been our undoing in every game this season, to differing degrees.

With all the variables taken into account such as our experience, hardakers omission, McGuire and burrow leaving, the simple uniqueness of gf night I think cas should still actually win, it just maybe closer than neutrals would have thought.

I know sport doesn't work like this, but I just feel like we're due a gf loss, you know?

I wouldn't count on Hardaker not playing yet....

If it's the same bench as last week then he'll use them all. 2015 was the one for me, seeing Walters on the bench and telling some Wigan fans that he won't even get on the pitch. For all the bad games he's had with use of subs his timing of introducing Keinhorst & Walters that night was one of his best.

If he does, im sure Hardaker will be delighted the club dragged his name through the mud, allowed speculation to run rife, made him look a dick and allowed him to be accused of anything you can think of for no reason. Seems great man-management.

He can't. They can't change the 19 unless an injury occurs that vacates a place.

Whilst I don't think we'll see Hardaker playing tomorrow, on the above issue they could just chuck Joel Monaghan in a room with a dog for 10 mins and next thing you know he'll have a groin injury.

The club absolutely should have made him unavailable for selection whilst they investigated the allegation made against him. This was not resolved when the 19 man squad was announced so, at that point, he was unavailable for selection.
If they have interviewed Hardaker today and concluded that he has no case to answer (as yet) or he has accepted some kind of warning, Cas should not prevent him from resuming his duties.
Not sure what Hardaker would have to moan about. In fact, he will probably appreciate the club conducting their investigations so quickly.

The club have said he is unavailable because he broke club rules. They have already found him guilty of the offense that they dropped him for. Their silence on what that offense was has allowed speculation to run rife and Hardaker to be accused of plenty that he didnt do. So the club would be saying he was guilty before they had come to that conclusion, were wrong about it, and had needlessly hung Hardaker out to dry for an offence he hadnt actually committed.

Alternatively....
He broke club rules by being where he wasn't meant to be.
However, this was complicated further by the allegation that was made against him. The club had to deal with this before they could move on.
He's been given an official warning for breaking club rules, but after meeting with Hardaker today, no further action will be taken regarding the other allegation.
As such, everything is concluded and he can play.
Maybe....

Ive heard the same thing off 2 completely seperate people, one a current superleague player and the other an RL sports brand agent, and neither involve a pub, fight/argument or racism,

a lot worse,

too much of a coincidence?

Hopefully he plays then the Cas fans can have no excuses when we win

Ferres has put a message out saying the audio he was linked too, regarding the racial abuse allegedly by Hardaker, is nothing to do with him.

He's playing now. Theres texts and emails flying all over Castleford from an old dear at the club apparently



This is the biggest mystery since Dallas, who shot JR,

Eastenders, who killed Lucy,

The Simpsons, who shot Mr Burns,

Neighbours, where is Harold Bishop

I think not. I do believe that one of the two things I was talking about was the pub incident and racism thing though, but that’s an ongoing thing at the minute as I understand, and they’re covering the main incident with this ‘breach of club rules’ thing at the minute until this is announced, as it’s still a truth, and club rules were breached by him being somewhere the players were prohibited going a while ago because of another players continuous incidents in that area.

Then your statement is... "Due to a breach of club rules and a serious allegation made against Zak, we are conducting an internal investigation. Due to the nature of the allegation Zak will not be considered for first team action until the investigation is complete. When that investigation is complete we will consider a range of outcomes and as Zak denies said allegations we reserve the right to reinstate him to first team action as and when we see fit.

Because of the ongoing nature of the investigation we will make no further comment until its completion. "

Whats the benefit of throwing him under the bus for the last couple of days and allowing speculation to get out of control?

Fair enough.

We need our forwards to be on top. It's the quick ptb that Cas run their set moves off to put their winger on the outside that have killed us against them for me.

I think it'll be close either way

There is nobody within Castleford with the literary skills to write anywhere near that level of articulacy.