Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:06 pm  

PrinterThe wrote:

Rangi Chase has got a 2 year ban announced today.

Apparently one of 7 SL players caught using Cocaine - perhaps the drug is more widely used than many suspect

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:45 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Apparently one of 7 SL players caught using Cocaine - perhaps the drug is more widely used than many suspect

They should all get 2 year bans, if found "guilty".

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:01 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Apparently one of 7 SL players caught using Cocaine - perhaps the drug is more widely used than many suspect

I think most, on here at least, realise how widely used it is. The surprising part would be the sudden very high increase in failed tests. 3 known cases in 3 months at SL. How many failed tests have they been since Gareth Hock in 2009?

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Thu Nov 23, 2017 10:07 pm  

PrinterThe wrote:

Rangi Chase has got a 2 year ban announced today.

And from the dates the ban runs to and from it seems he was caught one week after signing a permanent deal at widnes!! What a moron.

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Thu Nov 23, 2017 11:39 pm  

Like I said, it may be widespread but if any club condones the use of banned drugs in any way then they deserve to lose players for long suspensions - and yes I include Leeds in that. If any club officials are stupid enough to try to help players 'get away with it' then they should be dumped as well.

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:03 pm  

The Chin's Back wrote:

I can't quite grasp what the relevance of your post is and how in your mind that these two separate indiscretions could possibly be dealt with in the same way by any disciplinary body for any player that was actually found to be guilty of either indiscretion

I personally have no sympathy for any player caught taking drugs of any kind and would love to see a zero tolerance policy taken for all guilty players in order to rid our sport of these drug users.
I also would never condone homophobic abuse in any form and anyone proved guilty should face the consequences.If any one was found to be guilty then i would not feel any sympathy for them what so ever

Would you like to enlighten us with your reasoning behind your post,especially after stating that the incidents are unrelated and why you feel people should show some sympathy for Zak for being caught taking drugs during competition time?

I'm afraid that I do have sympathy for Zak and am surprised at the lack of it on here. The punishment for taking what is a non performance enhancing drug, is draconian.

He is a young man who has been caught out doing what many people in society do. I'm not condoning it, but the only victim here is himself. I don't buy into the 'role model' theory in this case any more than I did when he was banned for homophobic comments.

The only way these things are related is in people's response, in that homophobia was treated on these boards with sympathy overall (maybe not by you) and that people are completely unsympathetic to drug taking (or at least getting caught).

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:09 pm  

PrinterThe wrote:

Quite a difference between blurting out an insult in the heat of the moment In a match to taking drugs knowing the consequences of a failed test.

I think most Leeds fans would have no sympathy with him if he failed a drugs test whilst here.....weren't aren't Wigan fans with Hock. Wigan probably already eyeing up for two years time since Tomkins is flopping on big money on his return.

Whatever ban he gets should be consistent with others. Hock got 2 years so why not Hardaker? Whatever he, Rangi Chase and Adam Walker get it should be the same unless there is a good reason for varying ban lengths.

Because the length of the ban was too harsh. Justice is the key not consistency. Ben Barba got twelve games. I think that seems more reasonable.

FWIW Tomkins is likely to be back in the halves where he started out, so maybe Zak will be welcome. I'll have no problem with that.

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:42 pm  

Aboveusonlypie wrote:

Because the length of the ban was too harsh. Justice is the key not consistency. Ben Barba got twelve games. I think that seems more reasonable.

FWIW Tomkins is likely to be back in the halves where he started out, so maybe Zak will be welcome. I'll have no problem with that.

It might too harsh and there's an argument that it could be shorter. But 2 years is the standard punishment it seems by UKAD so at least they're consistent. Chase now has the same. Drug testers aren't exactly going to have the view of let's be lenient in their job are they just because fans don't want to see someone banned for too long.

People bringing up Barba are completely missing the fact he was tested by a different drug testing organisation in a different country out of competition. SL doesn't decide the length of the ban they just follow them, with Barba they could only either really make him miss 12 games or none at all and it'd open up a lot of messier repercussions if they did the former.

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:49 pm  

Aboveusonlypie wrote:

The only way these things are related is in people's response, in that homophobia was treated on these boards with sympathy overall (maybe not by you) and that people are completely unsympathetic to drug taking (or at least getting caught).

As mentioned before one was a heat of the moment thing that can happen on the pitch (also maintain that I don't think it was aimed at the referee)

The other is a conscious decision that he had time to think about doing or not doing and had time to weigh up the potential damage and he still did it. Which is made worst considering his chequered past and the closeness of the playoffs for his team who were having a dream season.

Re: OUT 2017 | Zak Hardaker - Castleford Tigers : Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:58 am  

PrinterThe wrote:

It might too harsh and there's an argument that it could be shorter. But 2 years is the standard punishment it seems by UKAD so at least they're consistent. Chase now has the same. Drug testers aren't exactly going to have the view of let's be lenient in their job are they just because fans don't want to see someone banned for too long.

People bringing up Barba are completely missing the fact he was tested by a different drug testing organisation in a different country out of competition. SL doesn't decide the length of the ban they just follow them, with Barba they could only either really make him miss 12 games or none at all and it'd open up a lot of messier repercussions if they did the former.

The point about Barba is the lack of consistency - the rules need to provide an even playing field.

It doesn't matter where or when you are tested the governing bodies should agree an appropriate punishment that applies to everyone