It was September 2017 and a lot has happened since then. Hardaker is one of the most talented players of his generation, winning three Super League titles by the age of 24, but he has not played for 16 months after news broke of a positive test for cocaine, while playing for Castleford, days before their first Grand Final appearance. Unfortunately that is not where the controversy ends.
They say history has a habit of repeating itself and Hardaker can testify to that. After it was announced last summer that Wigan would give him the chance to resurrect his career, he was arrested and given a 20-month ban behind the wheel for drink-driving. That was the latest in a number of high-profile misdemeanours that have overshadowed his career, including being investigated by the police over an assault and receiving a five-match suspension for homophobic abuse.
“I was locked up overnight for 12 hours when I got arrested and after realising I wasn’t going to be able to sleep I was staring at those empty white walls and wondered if this was it,” Hardaker says. “Wigan had given me a chance I may not have deserved in truth and I’d let them down. But they made it clear what I needed to do to save my career.”
Hardaker is not foolish enough to believe his apologies mean a lot by now, given the number of controversies he has been embroiled in and last chances he has been handed. Many expected Wigan to tear up his five-year contract. Instead they stuck with him.
It was genuinely 50-50 whether we cut our losses at that point,” says Wigan’s director of rugby, Kris Radlinski, Hardaker’s childhood idol. “We had a harsh meeting with him and explained he had some hurdles to clear to prove he belonged at this club.”
That included Hardaker finally taking responsibility for his actions, which resulted in him checking himself into the Sporting Chance clinic last autumn. “Drinking has been the issue that has led to 95% of my problems,” says Hardaker, who underwent an alcohol rehabilitation course in the centre founded by the RFL’s incoming president and former Arsenal stalwart, Tony Adams.
“I’d reached a moment where me and my family realised I needed to do something to change my life, not just my career. You think you know all about yourself but when you’re in a place like that, it teaches you to reassess. I’ve apologised so many times before but I didn’t know how to handle it when things went wrong. I had to accept I needed help, which was a big ask for a 27-year‑old, but I needed to.”
For 26 days, rugby – and the distractions of home life – were off the agenda. “It’s six hours away and it was about tackling your issues head-on rather than shrugging them off.
“I was lucky to be offered that chance and Wigan rang me every day, assuring me I had a future if I did the right things. I know people will struggle to believe this but I’m sick of making the same mistakes. I’ve learned a lot about myself in Sporting Chance.”
Aside from his issues with alcohol and his high-profile drugs suspension, Hardaker has been fighting another battle: a lifelong struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, though he stresses it is not the root of all his wrongdoings. “Male mental health is very topical right now but I’ve always been keen for my ADHD to be private, so it doesn’t look like an excuse.
“I couldn’t have sugary drinks or sweets when I was younger because of it, I had to do all sorts of unusual stuff and it’s important people know that’s a daily battle for me – but not while saying: ‘This is why I’ve done what I’ve done in the past.’ It was 2016 when I knew it was becoming a real problem but I just tried to pretend it wasn’t there. It’s been difficult to live with at times.”
After leaving the clinic and resuming training with Wigan Hardaker began the process of moving away from his hometown of Pontefract for the first time. He believes that has also been crucial for his rehabilitation. “Being able to concentrate solely on rugby was why it was time to move,” he says. “At home there were too many distractions to lead me astray. I’m now in a town where rugby league is everything and the expectations of the people are huge.”
Hardaker says he has not touched alcohol since the night he was arrested last September but for those who have followed his career, it is hard not to feel this has all been heard before. Does he accept it will be difficult to earn back the trust of the sport when his playing career resumes, with some arguing he has already had too many chances?
I’ve found a way to deal with my problems and I’m hungry to play. No more bad headlines, only good ones
Zak Hardaker
“I sincerely apologise for my actions and know it might take another five years for me to not do anything stupid, and people might think I’ve turned a corner. Life now feels a lot clearer armed with what I learned at Sporting Chance. Previously, on days off, I’d be sat around wondering what to do and it would normally end in me losing my head or going to the pub. But now I’m much better prepared to deal with it.”
Hardaker acknowledges the fierce public backlash his actions have provoked: “Some comments I get on social media are very difficult to deal with and I’ve stopped using Twitter because it’s brutal.”
One thing is clear: the former Man of Steel is itching to lay this latest tumultuous chapter of his career to rest by returning to rugby for good. “I’d be in a cell again if it went wrong one more time,” he says. “It wouldn’t end well if rugby wasn’t there for me because of my own mistakes.
“September 25th was a defining moment in my life and there were times during the suspension when I wondered if packing rugby in would make all my problems go away. But I’m back with a smile on my face, I’ve found a way to deal with my problems for the first time and I’m hungry to play. No more bad headlines, only good ones.”
Radlinski says: “It’s early days but he’s cleared a big hurdle with Sporting Chance. We want to be part of this journey with him and we think he can be the best player in the competition again – but it’s up to him and nobody else now.”
“It’ll all make a good book one day,” Hardaker says with a smile as the end of our hour together nears. With the full-back now in his happy place once again, perhaps there could still be a good ending to this story. But only Hardaker can write the remaining chapters.