Hardaker slams Soward’s Super League claim

Zak Hardaker has played in both Super League and the NRL – and believes Jamie Soward’s criticism of the English competition is wide of the mark.

Soward slammed Super League on Twitter recently, stating that the competition is “10 years behind the NRL”.

Hardaker has just returned from half a season at Soward’s former club, Penrith, where he made 11 appearances down under.

The England international, who has signed for Castleford for 2017, dismissed the Australia’s view.

“If it came from someone like Cooper Cronk then you could understand, but when Jamie Soward came over I thought he was rubbish,” Hardaker said.

“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].

Super League‘s Man of Steel in 2015 at Leeds, Hardaker featured as a centre for the Panthers.

He admits the two competitions are quite different.

“Being over there it’s two totally different games,” he said.

“Over here it’s a lot of offloading and quick rugby.  Over there it seems to three, four, five drives and a kick. It’s all about completion, which I totally get that.

“It’s two different games. If you don’t like it it’s a bit like marmite I guess. I enjoyed it in the NRL. The physicality is a lot different.

“Fortunately I played against New Zealand in the three Test series and it was very physical, after the game I was aching.

“For a good three or four days after I was, and that was very similar to when I played over there. I didn’t play 80 minutes every week but after the game you were sore, you were aching, your shoulders, your chest.

“It’s very physical so that was the main difference. With the two referees that slows the game down over there. So it’s a bit different.

“I think if you had two referees here it could change the game here.”