If you watch the preceding incident it would suggest that Flanagan acted like a prick rather than a puff. Sorted!

It's speculation. No one on here knows what he said.

This.

Looks like he said "F****** bottled it".

Why, when anyone makes a criticism of somebody or something are they 'jealous'? It's the playground retort of a child.

Not a bad shout that after watching it again.

Could be, could be several others. Just goes to show why nothing will probably come of it. The only way really is if he did say "puff" and Silverwood heard it (that would open up questions again about why a ref didn't take any action at the time though)

Some have mentioned if a Saints player cites him for it. Well for me that leads us into dodgy territory, you've got Wigan vs Leeds and Saints vs Wire next week. Player thinks I know I'll say O'Loughlin/Sinfield/Roby/Monaghan called me a "f**king ?????" and see one of your playoffs rivals lose a key man for the playoffs coming up due to a 5 match ban.

It could open up the floodgates big time.

What a dull, agenda driven thread. Almost as boring as the eye-gouging one.

Hardaker is probably the most exciting player in Super League, so I suppose this was inevitable.

Not a good comparison really as he did gouge Hill's eye. It's just that the disciplinary concluded it was accidental and so no action was taken.

So because he's an exciting rugby player he shouldn't be criticised or punished for homophobic abuse (IF that's what he said)

This is a forum, the discussion is whether a player (who has history of this sort of thing) made another homophobic comment. People who mention a players ability when discussing a disciplinary issue usually have no point to their argument.

I don't think anyone can say for certain that he said the word pu*f, nor can anyone say for certain he didn't say it and simply dismiss it as a witch hunt and Hardaker is a great player and we're all jealous. Those kind of responses remind me of chavs saying the police have it in for them when they're caught in a non insured car for third time.

The only way we can be certain if RFL have full investigation, get players, referee reports and a lip reader, and have sufficient evidence to charge Hardaker. But I don't think this is in their interest (particularly with bad press RL is getting recently)

It would do them more damage not to investigate properly. Then IF Hardaker has messed up again they need to make an example of him....he's had his warning.

Big difference to last time is that Child thought the insult was directed at him, and was a direct insult at his sexuality. The problem for Hardaker is the previous matter, not what was actually said last night. He strikes me as a bit immature, that's all.

Watching it as it happened it's clear as day what he said.

And what's all this "he's a great player, a real talent" etc. Lol no he's not. He isn't even that good. A slight step up from Richie Mathers

Regards

King james

so we ban every player who swears at another on the pitch?

pathetic.

Looked like he said pussy tbh

A deaf/mute mate of mine reckons Zak called him a fecking pervert . He says (well ... not actually says , but you know what I mean ) there was definitely too many syllables for it to have been puff .

You're not funny

No one can be sure, but considering your friend is deaf and impartial he has alot more credibility than the witch hunters on here.

Is this really what Rugby League has come to?

Jeez - whatever happened to the sport we all fell in love with? The sort where;

Real men went toe to toe in battle,
Where a forwards job was to batter the other teams big men and intimidate their little more skillful players,
Where the backs would only mouth off if they were mental (eg Bobbie Goulding), or if they were hiding behind a monster pack,
Where 'working class' folk could go and enjoy the gladiatorial battle between 2 teams and come away satisfied both teams had given their all,
Where nobody gave two hoots about what sledging took place on the field,
Ultimately, where what happened on the pitch, stayed on the pitch, with everyone sharing a pint after the game.

These ridiculous mock outrage, political correctness, 1 up man-ship threads are pathetic and are a sad indictment of the state of not only rugby league, but society as a whole nowadays.

I'd love another breakaway in the sport, keeping the majority of the current rules, but getting back to the real game of rugby league where good hard hits are allowed (inc legal shoulder charges), where if a games boils over in the heat of the moment and a few punches are thrown, the ref deals with it with stern warnings in the 1st instance, where there's absolutely no focus on what's said between players on the pitch, where the players sort any issues out on the field and shake hands at the end and that's the end of it - I bet I know which the majority would rather watch!

Rugby league is fast moving away from the very principles and ethics that the sport has been built on. Imagine what some of the real men from the history of our game would think of this thread...

Serious question.

Is it homophobic if I call someone I know to be straight a puff?

Does the word puff only have homophobic connotations or can it not have a similar meaning to wimp? That's the way we used it as kids and it's the way I still use it now. I would never dream of calling someone who is homosexual a puff, firstly because I would never want to deliberately offend someone and secondly, that's not what the word means to me.

I thought Hardaker said "f***ing poof" which is much worse because it can be understood in Australia. This means that he could be subject to Australia's anti-discrimination laws which would see him banned from even entering Australia for the Four Nations in October.

Unless of course he was appearing on the footy show, the continuous call team on 2GB or on either of triple M's footy programmes, where light hearted banter (that could be taken as homophobic) regularly occurs..

Truth is, he's not homophobic, his comments weren't homophobic (even if he used the term poof)... He's playing rugby, in the heat of the moment, feeling aggrieved at what he's deemed a dirty tackle and has thrown some abuse... Whether it be calling someone fat, ginger, ugly, gay, spastic etc etc - none of it is 'discriminatory' it's just words used in the current era to get a reaction and show your annoyance - there are no connotations behind what the words once meant many years ago... But of course the PC mock outraged will no doubt point that as me being a homophobe etc etc... But luckily I live in the real world where I know people don't mean everything literally, and where I don't really give a Sh!te about what someone calls me - my Wife often tells me my dinner will be in the dog if I'm late home - it's yet to happen... I've been called a ponce plenty of times for leaving the pub early to be home for the dinner my wife has lovingly prepared (to make sure it doesn't end up in the dog), and on the rugby pitch I've been told many a time someone was going to 'kill me' - yet I never feared for my life, or reported the incident to the Police as I felt my life was threatened...

Well said got to agree,I love the game of rugby league but to many people can not take a joke my god what is it coming to in my eyes and in lots of other peoples eyes he was joking with him