What a stupid boy.

Yes I'm absolutely aware but I didn't know if they would call it something else to differentiate from recreational drugs.

Or any fan who lost a game against Cas where Hardaker was an important player.

He's going to go into a spiral. Could go the same way as Terry Newton.

I'm struggling to see how in this day and age it takes a professional body almost a month to come back with test results.

Wreck your career for some coke! What an idiot.

On a wider picture. Does RL have a coke problem across all levels or is it a minor issue?

I was under the impression that UKAD would have informed the club of the failed A sample, then sent the B sample for testing before it is confirmed.

A number of people have known that he failed a test for weeks, it was the same with Chase at Widnes. The club's know that the initial test has failed and they are just awaiting confirmation of the B sample.

It seems that everyone's policy is to carry on regardless until the 2nd confirmation. Widnes had chase named in the 19 man squad under full knowledge that a ban was impending, then announced his suspension the next day. There's no way that Cas and Hardaker didn't know about it over the last few weeks.

Correct.

Just had a quick look at the WADA guidelines and they specify; "In the meantime, a Provisional Suspension must be imposed when an A sample returns an Adverse Analytical
Finding for a Prohibited Method or for a Prohibited Substance", which I assume was the test sample on Sept 8th? (unless I'm mistaken?) do we not comply with the WADA code in RL? Or did the A sample take 3 weeks?

Very sad indeed.

Don't want this to go the same way as Terry Newton, but this guy is a child in a man's body and needs a good shake

Surely the late notice threw us off more than if this had been announced weeks ago. The team were clearly thrown and it was obvious. It's ridiculous.

UKAD have obviously done it by the book. It seems a long time but it was likely due to waiting for the B sample.

Hardacker is a Grade A idiot. Let himself down, his team down, his coach down. Cas took a chance on him and his repaid them with this.

.

Yeah, a good shake, that's all he needs. Mate Leeds tried everything with him, and with some of the pros he had around him at leeds, plus a new start under his mentor Powell, if that can't help him nothing will. Lost cause.

Because there are procedures to be followed: double checking results, 'i's to dot and 't's to cross to ensure that a positive result can't be thrown out on a technicality, as well as analysing the 'B' sample. Avoiding cross contamination with samples from others will also slow down the whole process as I'd expect them to analyse individual's samples completely separately and have rigorous cleaning procedures between tests. I also recall reading that the analysis procedure isn't as simple as sticking the sample through a GLC or HPLC but requires preparation that takes time. I also imagine the list of banned substances is quite long too so I would think that more than one 'test' is carried out.

I also recall that it has taken time for results from other failed tests to come through - nevermind in RL, just think how long some of the results from the London Olympics took to come out?

Official Cas statement:

Castleford Tigers can confirm that it has now received notification that Zak Hardaker has tested positive for a banned substance following a Super 8s match against Leeds Rhinos on 8th September 2017.
The club was made aware at 10:00am on Thursday morning that the player would receive official written notification from UK Anti-Doping and therefore the player was immediately suspended. Official notification was delivered on Friday and following discussions with the player on Sunday the decision was taken to announce the result of the test today in order to clarify the circumstances around Zak's omission.

Zak Hardaker, said: “I would like to apologise to my Castleford Tigers teammates, the staff and all fans for my enormous error of judgment. I was given an opportunity by this great club and in what has been one of the most important weeks in its history, I have let everyone at the club down. For that, I truly apologise,"

"Finally, I would like to make it clear that in no way did I, nor would I, ever take a substance with the intention of enhancing my performance."

Castleford Tigers will be making no further comment until the outcome of the case has been determined.

Just for having a buzzing night out, innit.

It very much sounds as though it’s a recreational drug rather than a performance enhancing drug. If it was the latter the B sample should be processed much quicker due to its enhancing effect on games after the A sample.
No sympathy for Hardaker for what suspension is coming his way he,s already received anger management for homophobic and racist rants and now he,s got drug abuse therapy on his career CV.

Another wasted career. In his career, he's now missed two World Cups and a Grand Final due to very poor decision making and assuming a 2 year ban, he's going to be 27 before he is eligible to play again.

I know Toronto has been mentioned as an option, but would he be admissable to Canada with his rap-sheet? A police record following an incident in March 15 (IIRC) and a likely drug ban for a recreational substance. Apparently there have been League 1 players who missed on a trip to Toronto for less than that.

At the end of the day he's tainted his career through his own stupidity like Chase and Adam Walker. No to blame but himself. This goes to other potential players who will get caught in the future.

Great player and a big loss to the game especially Cas, but with his checkered past I would take his apology with a pinch of salt.

All of that lost for what, feeling a bit of a buzz on a night out in Pontefract? One of the best fullbacks in the game for a long time but his career will go down as wasted. Literally.

Well when you knock around with your mates in a gym called Iron wolf you should no your not in the best place to train for a professional sports man

What difference does the name of the gym make to its suitability for a pro sportsman? Perhaps he should have found a gym called 'Model Pro' or 'Clean Living Young Men?'

Bigger picture, I have no real issue with the choice to snort a few lines on a Saturday night - and I find the arbitrary nature of which drugs are considered legal, or not, a bit confusing; but as a professional sportsman, one would assume he knows enough about how to expunge it from his system in the days that follow - and when he is likely to be tested - to avoid a positive result; so I go back to my original statement that he's just a dunce.

Feel sorry for Cas - they threw a lifeline to a lad who had caused untold trouble at a much higher profile club - and he's shat all over them, on the biggest day in their history.

He doesn't know when he will be tested. UKAD do random testing.

He'll pop up again before too long at one of the crap clubs like Hull KR, Leigh or Salford. Cas could very well stand by him, but they've got form for binning off morons, like they did Justin Carney.

Huge waste of talent. I'm going to the World Cup next month, and I'd have much preferred to see Hardaker in the England side than not. Idiot.

And they invested a hell of a lot in him. £150k transfer fee is hardly small change.