What next for Zak after act of stupidity?

[josie andrews]

Zak Hardaker has been convicted, fined and banned from driving.

But a big question still looms over his drink-driving episode: What next for his playing future?

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-9392781

[ian b]

world class player but i would get shut . He made his choice when he got in the car

[fozzieskem]

I agree with Ian,he’s a fine player who I would have loved to have seen in a Wigan shirt but now while I don’t think being banned is a sackable offence in his case I think the club will cancel his contract,though that said in an expert bit of fence sitting they may not.

It just makes the decision to let Sam go an act of outright buffoonery bordering on stupidity

[old hooker]

I agree with Ian,he’s a fine player who I would have loved to have seen in a Wigan shirt but now while I don’t think being banned is a sackable offence in his case I think the club will cancel his contract,though that said in an expert bit of fence sitting they may not.

It just makes the decision to let Sam go an act of outright buffoonery bordering on stupidity

You are spot on, I just hope they get rid and letting Sam go may come back to bite us.

[Wiganer Ted]

The club's reaction will be interesting.
What has always been obvious to me from the day he signed was that we'll only find out what his chances are when he moves to Wigan and out of his usual environment of the Cas/Ponty/Fev area and his daft mates from around there.

This ban from driving could work in Wigan's favour if they decide to stick with him. He can't drive over to see them and if they arrive here then they can't get back. He needs to change his surroundings in all aspects.

If the club do stick with him and he gets through to the start of the season incident free then circumstances and Zak might have changed and improved.
It's a very difficult call for the club to make in many, many ways. I wish them well with their judgement.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I agree with Ian,he’s a fine player who I would have loved to have seen in a Wigan shirt but now while I don’t think being banned is a sackable offence in his case I think the club will cancel his contract,though that said in an expert bit of fence sitting they may not.

It just makes the decision to let Sam go an act of outright buffoonery bordering on stupidity

You should dust off Sam’s highlight reel for the last 3 years. Won’t take you long to watch.

He turned his back on the club that had paid for him to get fit (year 1 gone), only to injure himself while drunk (year 2 gone), only to grab the money and run when offered a big contract by us. Oh, and check out the rest of YouTube highlights from earlier this year.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I don’t mind if we sack him.

But if we do keep him, then you could argue that as he has not really been immersed in the Wigan culture for long, we might be able to turn him round.

Lam and Edwards (who I assume will have a big say) may be just the influences he needs. You would have to worry if he joined Wane’s likely lads and the Tomkins twins, but I expect we are moving into a new era with different standards as a club. Which could be exactly what he needs.

[wandering walter]

I feel Zac Hardaker, as most have said, has been a fool to himself, however he needs to be the person who accepts that he has a drink/drug problem. Whichever way you look at it he is an adict and anyone who has been involved with adicts drink/drugs will tell you that they need to accept that they have an adiction, that is the first step. Adicts will say that they have given up drink/drugs just to please the person who is trying to help them, the adicts will hide drink/drugs as they do not accept they have a problem. Recovering adicts when THEY have accepted that they have a problem will say that they have gone X number of days/years without a drink. They will also tell you that they're recovering adicts and understand that one drink will send them back to their problem. Once Zac has accepted he is an adict then he can move forward with his life and maybe just maybe a career in Rugby League. Is Wigan RFL prepared to wait that long we will waite and see.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

I don’t mind if we sack him.

But if we do keep him, then you could argue that as he has not really been immersed in the Wigan culture for long, we might be able to turn him round.

Lam and Edwards (who I assume will have a big say) may be just the influences he needs. You would have to worry if he joined Wane’s likely lads and the Tomkins twins, but I expect we are moving into a new era with different standards as a club. Which could be exactly what he needs.

Standards that have seen us reach ANOTHER GF, one of the Tomkins brothers moved on and the other playing his best rugby for many years and without him we would not be in another GF!

I kind of don’t mind these standards to be honest! But there is always room for improvement, however Hardaker over Sam is not one!!

[Exiled Wiganer]

Standards that have seen us reach ANOTHER GF, one of the Tomkins brothers moved on and the other playing his best rugby for many years and without him we would not be in another GF!

I kind of don’t mind these standards to be honest! But there is always room for improvement, however Hardaker over Sam is not one!!

1) the standards here are the behavioural standards into which an addict would be stepping. Clearly, both Tomkinses have drink issues.

2) we have got to a Grand Final, as we did in 2016, which we won without a Tomkins who had injured himself while drunk. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed the season immensely, and will accept that Tomkins’ pointing and talking has played its part. Indeed, he has done more for us this year than in his previous 2 years stealing a living and the 2 years at the Warriors. We don’t know if we would have made a GF without him. Our most fluent performance this year was away against Saints, though which doesn’t back up that assertion.

3) Sam choosing to leave frees up a marquee spot, which, if we find a good organising 7 to go alongside Williams, will mean that we would be stronger as a side with a running fullback.