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Zak Hardaker/Gaz Hock

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:11 pm
by boggart
Just, belatedly, watched the awards evening. I understand he was cut a reasonable amount of slack (irony) at the time, but, if Gaz Hock had had the support Zak H had, what a player he would have been for club and country. I'm a great fan of his, so I'm obviously biased, but do you thing the extra attention would have worked, or was Gaz just not the man to appreciate it?

Re: Zak Hardaker/Gaz Hock

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 3:09 pm
by the pieman
boggart wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:11 pm Just, belatedly, watched the awards evening. I understand he was cut a reasonable amount of slack (irony) at the time, but, if Gaz Hock had had the support Zak H had, what a player he would have been for club and country. I'm a great fan of his, so I'm obviously biased, but do you thing the extra attention would have worked, or was Gaz just not the man to appreciate it?
without knowing all the ins and outs, so this if from memory of what was communicated at the time, i think he was given a lot of support by the club all the time he was banned including a personal trainer to keep him fit and motivated (not sure if rehab was as popular a thing a few years ago)

the way it came across and where i think it went wrong was the demands he put on the club by trying to hold them to ransom (thats how it appeared anyway) by asking for a big new contract / demanding to leave after everything that the club had done for him by keeping him employed / fit / off the hard stuff. i think at the time the club and quite a lot of the fans were very aggrieved by this approach.

ps i also think he had the potential to be one of the best 2nd row forwards in the world and still think he is one of the most destructive and skillful forwards i have seen in a Wigan shirt when he was in the mood

Re: Zak Hardaker/Gaz Hock

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 3:42 pm
by The booze hound
boggart wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:11 pm Just, belatedly, watched the awards evening. I understand he was cut a reasonable amount of slack (irony) at the time, but, if Gaz Hock had had the support Zak H had, what a player he would have been for club and country. I'm a great fan of his, so I'm obviously biased, but do you thing the extra attention would have worked, or was Gaz just not the man to appreciate it?
The club may have learned to do things differently from the Hock saga and how that ended.
Hock had the potential to be the best 2nd row in the world. It was sad to see him mess it up. I remember him taking the Aussies on almost single handedly, they just couldn't deal with him (strength, skill, aggression).

Re: Zak Hardaker/Gaz Hock

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 4:56 pm
by keptinthedarkfans
Good point on way club handled both players. I am privileged to know Gaz personally so biased towards him. But also have to say the club did try to help him a lot the problem was regardless of what help was there for him he was still living around those influences and could not break away from them he is a shy lad who was easily led. he did not have the know how or self esteem to stand in front of school children and explain the down falls in his life style. Zac on the other hand has a strong confident intellectual personality and was taken away from his environment given new direction focusing on his strengths of communicating with school children on his life style and strongly believe that changed him for life and we will see the best of a brilliant talented rugby player. I also believe imo had gaz gone to Australia that would have changed his path and would have to gone on to be what I believe one of best second row forwards in the world. life is both precious and brittle we all choose our own paths and have to live with the consequences of decisions we make. BUT EVERYONE deserves to make amends if there is a chance to turn there lives around.

Re: Zak Hardaker/Gaz Hock

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:12 pm
by boggart
Some really excellent responses, thank you.

Still a Gaz Hock fan.

Re: Zak Hardaker/Gaz Hock

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2019 6:25 pm
by josie andrews
boggart wrote: ↑Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:12 pm Some really excellent responses, thank you.

Still a Gaz Hock fan.
Me too, he’s a belting lad 😊

Re: Zak Hardaker/Gaz Hock

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2019 7:23 pm
by ancientnloyal
I’m a massive Hock fan. World Class