Has anyone seen the handbags on twitter between Zak Hardaker and Jamie Foster? Not sure if they have any history but it seemed a bit uncalled for from Zak to have a go at Foster for praising Gaskell. Normally I wouldn’t be too bothered about things like this but it was pretty late at night and you wonder if he had been drinking? Again not the crime of the century but you always worry about Zak with his history.

I listened to a podcast a few weeks ago and Hardaker recalled the try Foster scored at Headingley where he juggled the ball round his back and put it down in the corner. Hardaker was on that wing that day and he’s still extremely sore about it going off that podcast. I think last nights handbags was nothing more than a bit of banter really. They’re clearly not the best of mates and maybe it’s not the wisest move to play it out in public view but as you say, it’s not a crime and I don’t have too many issues with it.

He is happy to put photos of what he is drinking in social media (last night it was pints of Peroni followed by bottles of red wine).

The Twitter posts are not a good look (especially considering the foul language and the abuse of a former player because he has a career after RL), but it is a warning sign that he needs help before things take a turn for the worse.

POST EDITED TO REMOVE SPECULATIVE ACUSATIONS.

Good job he's at a club that bothered to help him then

Uncalled for attack from Hardaker on a bloke who was just praising one of his former team mates.

Zak always seemed to enjoy mocking the fact Foster is a barber. Fair play to Foster starting a new career after rugby didn’t work out.

For Hardaker who bangs on about mental health, it’s not a good look.

Nothing Hardaker does is a good look. Can't we just bin him off and get a new centre in who doesn't live on the edge.

I hope so.
In fairness, a lot went on behind the scenes at Leeds without success.
During his short time at Cas, he was also given a lot of support.
But you can only help someone who wants to be helped. You cannot chaperone an adult to make sure they are doing the right thing and making the right choices.
His problems escalated during his ban when he didn’t have RL as a focus (nor a club to support him). That lack of focus seems to have been the case again during lockdown, so hopefully a return to playing will be good for him too. But it won’t be enough without professional support (not Radlinski ringing him up and just asking if he is okay), and his own desire to accept it.

Going off his social media he has been training hard while in lockdown so seems pretty focused and he has a baby on the way too which should help him stay focussed. Does he have an alcohol problem? Or is it just a problem with binge drinking when he goes out and does drugs and gets in trouble? Ideally I wouldn’t want any players drinking but if they’re drinking at home in some form of moderation not close to game day it’s not the end of the world but like I said with Zaks past it does make you worry a little.

The club needs to recommend players either don't have fans they've never met on social media or they keep it all PG and tow the party line. We're seeing a lot more negatives than positives in that regard over the last few years. Many fans are only too eager to egg them on and spread whatever they can as far as they can as well, adding on their own embellishments as they go.

To be honest, I’m not sure alcohol is the root of his problems (though he has spoken himself about his alcohol abuse). It’s more his mental health issues that get the better of him, leading to poor decision-making (including drinking and posting expletive-ridden abuse on social media).
A new baby won’t necessarily help either. Looking after a baby is a stressful experience for many people and can lead to even more feelings of helplessness and anxiety. For addicts, this can be the catalyst into further addiction.
What we are seeing here is a massive warning sign that he needs help and support.

All this isn’t helped by the Zak’s history of homophobia, given his unprovoked abuse was aimed at a former player for being a hairdresser and who has been the subject of rumours about his sexuality. Whilst Zak isn’t responsible for others, it’s led to comments about Foster being “bent” and other derogatory remarks about his sexuality on social media.
Makes you wonder why Zak decided to abuse him, especially when that abuse was about his occupation that has stereotypical links to sexual orientation.

Had it been another player having a spat with Foster, not a great deal would be made of it but it’s Hardaker and he does need to box clever and not leave himself open to criticism. I don’t really see it as a big deal and going off Fosters comments, I don’t have much sympathy for him either as he seems a bit of a plank. It’s two lads who don’t seem to care much for each other having a bit of a spat and not much else.

One thing I will say, is that I think Hardaker needs the return of the game more than most. He’s spoken about struggling mentally with having too much time on his hands and hopefully a mix of being back playing and then having his new born arrive will keep him occupied. He’s done plenty wrong in the past and this spat with Foster probably isn’t too wise but I wouldn’t blow it out of proportion.

It was pretty unprovoked from Zak though. Foster was simply praising an ex-team-mate and was met with Zak ripping into him for being a hair-dresser. I think he had every right to get a bit shirty.
Of course, Zak is also still a current SL player and therefore has an obligation to Wigan (who gave him an opportunity to return to the game) not to bring the club into disrepute with abusive and expletive-ridden posts on social media. Foster has no obligation to anyone and can say as he pleases in whatever way he wants.

Zak is currently busy deleting his Tweets, but it’s probably too late. And whilst he’s deleting some, he is continuing to reply to Foster’s tweets this morning trying to make everything look like friendly banter.

You can’t really defend him in this case.

Hopefully just a relapse in attitude after what had been a challenging time for everyone.

As others have mentioned hopefully the return to action and more importantly the birth of his child will give him that routine and stability he clearly needs.

The devil makes work for idle hands.

I think this says a lot more about your prejudices than Hardaker's regarding hairdressers and their perceived (by you) sexualities

You're obviously still very bitter about how Hardaker treated your club, to the point where you're implying he's homophobically abusing a barber and that he's an alcoholic. Unreal. Go and evict the tenant that's living rent free in your head, it'll do you and us a big favour.

The birth of a child is often a very difficult time for people with addictions and mental health difficulties. Looking after a newborn baby is stressful, tiring and can leave many people feeling anxious. Often, it can be a catalyst for further difficulties.
I hope that’s not the case, but we should not assume that a child will automatically help Zak to overcome his difficulties, because that probably won’t happen.