Forget 2016. Before then he passed the ball plenty for Leeds.



I'm not buying any of this about him suddenly becoming a much better player after a few weeks at bloody Cas!



I'm sure he'll improve, just like he'd have improved at Leeds had he not had his off field problems last year.

Welcome back by the way!

Yeah he'd have improved at Leeds this season for sure: based on the progress made by Sutcliffe, Golding, Ward et all that's patently obvious

(thanks for the welcome)

Just watch his passing game the improvement is blatant as is Powells Coaching compared to Mc.D.

Quite agree, now he is passing early and before contact far more.

Maybe going to Australia helped his passing game but I would credit playing with Luke gayle

To be fair, wrt Hardaker & comparisons with his time at Leeds, we should totally discount 2016 from our deliberations. He was a mess last year.



However, it is valid to compare him now to pre-2016. Whilst at Leeds he excelled in defence and broken field running. I have NEVER seen him CONSISTENTLY (three games in a row) look so effective as a link in the line with beautifully-timed passes to his winger/other. One can only conclude that he is: a) being coached to bring this skill to his game, or b) the style of play that Powell has Cas playing has encouraged this skill to manifest itself.



If the answer is a), then BMD is a numpty (5 or 6 years to coach the skill, compared to one off-season for Powell), if b), then BMD is a numpty (with our set of backs the past few years).



My guess is it is more b) than a). Why, for instance, do we persist in an incredibly flat attacking line (I understand why for runners near the ruck, but not out wide)? Why are we not coached to pass out wide early in the tackle count/in our own half every now & then? Anyone who has played/watched long enough know that this is when you are most likely to find gaps/space to run.

powell said he has done loads of work with hardaker, as they wanted him to try to replicate dorn.

as for our attack we have none. no dummy runners, nobody running through gaps, not that our halves can put people through gaps, and no shape.

I would conclude both your options are right

It IS like groundhog day. This IS "cut and paste" 2016 all over again.

After reading the drivel you've been posting since your return, I completely agree.

...at least I'm not the one now championing moving Ryan Hall into the 2nd row/centre. I used to believe that would be a good move in my younger naieve days, but not now FFS

Yes, very well done on only being a partial fool these days and not the total fool of yesteryear