Unfortunately for your theory, this ban was presided over by UKAD and not the RFL so the "how craply run RL is" line doesn't really work.

Then why are 2 Wigan Directors giving evidence in the UKAD process to support the Hardaker Legal Team to reduce the ban. Surely the RFL will be aware whether directly or indirectly of the Wigan involvement and there intentions.

This mental health issues thing is a load of bull s in my opinion. If he was your average labourer he wouldn’t be saying he has mental health issues, it’s just because he’s a high profile player in RL that he’s been told to say it to excuse why he acts like a tool. It’s just there as an excuse for a very thick human being who is acting out his intelligence level in society.

What advisers and witnesses Hardaker used is somewhat irrelevant - the decision-making is still nothing to do with the RFL.

The Wiganers involvement makes it abundantly clear who he's signing for though.

I don't have a problem with what might seem a relatively short ban. Assuming he has any kind of self awareness, the knowledge of how he messed up the season for Cas is a pretty big black mark to carry round. Mind you, he seemed completely lacking in that sort of understanding when he left Leeds, given how the club had stood by him through a number of incidents.

I'd also point out that his career as a high earner in RL would be about 10 years tops. Losing 10% of that through a one-year ban is a big hit financially.

If RL in England produced loads of quality players I might feel differently. Sadly we don't, and IMO the game needs those it does produce to play. Regardless, the only way he's not going top end up one of those sad examples of a sportsman throwing his career away is if he knuckles down and grows the hell up.

He took cocaine 4 days before the test, 2 days before the tournament started

"It's really important you know this was taken out of competition and in a context completely unrelated to tennis," said Evans, from Birmingham. 2 days before the comp he'd be training/hitting up at the tournament location, it's technically true since the comp did not start until 2 days after but it's not credible and the mickey poor excuse washed somehow

'Last April, a month after reaching a career-high ranking of 41, Britain's Dan Evans failed a drugs test at an ATP event in Barcelona. He had tak .en cocaine out of competition four days earlier.'

Indeed. Are we now going to assume that any RL player that takes cocaine from now on needs a pat on the shoulder?

But they represented evidence as there capacity as the England RL and not Wigan, this was a double edge sword. The RFL must have agreed to the representation or did they just let the Wigan Directors do what they like.

Rangi Chase on Twitter last night......"Do the line, do the time"

You have to agree with him. Why the difference in bans? It was well documented that Rangi had personal issues, and his use of cocaine was also not for performance enhancement

Did anyone else find the case document a bit bizarre? Strange bits of speculation of subjectivity in it such as:

"There was no performance related benefit and if he had another bottle of spirits instead, he would not be before us"

I find that melodrama quite odd coming from UKAD.

When all is said and done Hardaker is a very good Super League player but has continually made poor decisions off the field despite given new chances. Personally I don't have a problem with players taking anything recreationally as I'm sure was the case here. I do however, have a problem with players who are dumb enough to get caught.

I wonder how long Wigan will give him, anything beyond a 1 year contract would be inadvisable, he'll keep his head down for 9 months then get in trouble again.

I believe there is a contract offer from Cas on the table for ZH - hence the provision of a job with one of our sponsors whilst his ban expires. He has signed for Wigan though IMO. Wigan have paid his solicitors fees and helped him is his case so it all adds up.

It's the only way they can get anyone to live in Lancashire.

None of those clubs are in Lancashire.

As a side note, I'd laugh my off if he ended up signing for someone other than Wigan now.