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Former Penrith Panthers player Zak Hardaker hits back at Jamie Soward over Super League claims
JAMIE Soward has clearly ruffled some feathers with his uncomplimentary view of the Super League, copping an almighty serve from former Man of Steel Zak Hardaker.
Soward played just 16 Super League games across two short and relatively unsuccessful stints at the London Broncos — the second as a mid-season signing this year after parting ways with the Panthers.
So he understandably ruffled some feathers last month when he said on Triple M’s The Rush Hour that the Super League is “10 years behind the NRL”.
Soward has since defended that comment, saying it was plucked from a much longer conversation about England’s place in the rugby league pecking order and what needs to happen for Wayne Bennett’s Test side to win next year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Having spent about an hour on the radio program as a guest, Soward felt the one line that emerged as news had been taken out of context.
That argument apparently doesn’t wash with Hardaker, who was signed by Penrith on a loan deal at the same time as Soward left for the Super League this year, contributing mainly off the bench in his 11 appearances for one try.
The 25-year-old fullback has played over 150 games for the Rhinos and said Soward’s comments “should be taken with a grain of salt” as he did some mud slinging of his own.
“If it came from someone like Cooper Cronk then you could understand, but when Jamie Soward came over I thought he was rubbish,” Hardaker told English publication Love Rugby League.
“You can’t really listen to a guy who came over, played for London, was probably one of their worst players.
“No one wanted him at the Panthers, then he goes to play Championship.
“You can’t really listen to someone who’s been rubbish in Super League. So I would take his comments [with a grain of salt].”
Hardaker’s barb that “no one wanted” Soward at a club he had led to within one game of a grand final in 2014 will particularly sting the playmaker who last week admitted to Fox Sports News that he was open to resuming his NRL career at his former club St George Illawarra.
The Dragons have been hit hard in the playmaking ranks, with Benji Marshall parting ways with the club at the end of the 2016 season and first choice replacement Drew Hutchison rupturing his ACL in training last week.
It leaves coach Paul McGregor with limited options to wear the No.7 jersey with Josh McCrone and Kurt Mann vying with journeyman Shaun Nona and promising teenager Jai Field after Dragons Director of Rugby League Pathways Ian Millward ruled out a play for clubless ex-stars Chris Sandow and Todd Carney.
Asked if he would answer an SOS call from the club he won a premiership with in 2010, Soward last week replied: “You want to play forever and obviously you’d sit down and listen to the offer.
“But I’d have to be given some time to get back in shape, make the decision and be 100 per cent committed. But you never say never.
“ ... The position that I’m in, I’d like to think I wouldn’t be going in to trial.
“I’ve got enough runs on the board to come in and play halfback for the Dragons.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...s/news-story/d58d52e4f48a94bc8d22eb50a263a36e
JAMIE Soward has clearly ruffled some feathers with his uncomplimentary view of the Super League, copping an almighty serve from former Man of Steel Zak Hardaker.
Soward played just 16 Super League games across two short and relatively unsuccessful stints at the London Broncos — the second as a mid-season signing this year after parting ways with the Panthers.
So he understandably ruffled some feathers last month when he said on Triple M’s The Rush Hour that the Super League is “10 years behind the NRL”.
Soward has since defended that comment, saying it was plucked from a much longer conversation about England’s place in the rugby league pecking order and what needs to happen for Wayne Bennett’s Test side to win next year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Having spent about an hour on the radio program as a guest, Soward felt the one line that emerged as news had been taken out of context.
That argument apparently doesn’t wash with Hardaker, who was signed by Penrith on a loan deal at the same time as Soward left for the Super League this year, contributing mainly off the bench in his 11 appearances for one try.
The 25-year-old fullback has played over 150 games for the Rhinos and said Soward’s comments “should be taken with a grain of salt” as he did some mud slinging of his own.
“If it came from someone like Cooper Cronk then you could understand, but when Jamie Soward came over I thought he was rubbish,” Hardaker told English publication Love Rugby League.
“You can’t really listen to a guy who came over, played for London, was probably one of their worst players.
“No one wanted him at the Panthers, then he goes to play Championship.
“You can’t really listen to someone who’s been rubbish in Super League. So I would take his comments [with a grain of salt].”
Hardaker’s barb that “no one wanted” Soward at a club he had led to within one game of a grand final in 2014 will particularly sting the playmaker who last week admitted to Fox Sports News that he was open to resuming his NRL career at his former club St George Illawarra.
The Dragons have been hit hard in the playmaking ranks, with Benji Marshall parting ways with the club at the end of the 2016 season and first choice replacement Drew Hutchison rupturing his ACL in training last week.
It leaves coach Paul McGregor with limited options to wear the No.7 jersey with Josh McCrone and Kurt Mann vying with journeyman Shaun Nona and promising teenager Jai Field after Dragons Director of Rugby League Pathways Ian Millward ruled out a play for clubless ex-stars Chris Sandow and Todd Carney.
Asked if he would answer an SOS call from the club he won a premiership with in 2010, Soward last week replied: “You want to play forever and obviously you’d sit down and listen to the offer.
“But I’d have to be given some time to get back in shape, make the decision and be 100 per cent committed. But you never say never.
“ ... The position that I’m in, I’d like to think I wouldn’t be going in to trial.
“I’ve got enough runs on the board to come in and play halfback for the Dragons.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...s/news-story/d58d52e4f48a94bc8d22eb50a263a36e
