Was it Hardaker who’s missus terminated his child against his wishes? Not saying it’s an excuse to go off the rails but it would take a strong person not to. Sounds to me like he’s doing all the right things to get himself on track mentally wise

Regards

King James

He has you’re right there Grimmy but we’ve given him a chance and I just get the feeling that there’s some who just can’t wait to see him implode and are actually egging him on to do so!

I don't see where anyone has egged ZH on. He's one of a number of very talented players in SL in recent times who have repeatedly done themselves, or their club, no favours with their behaviour off the pitch.
If some have the opinion, belief or whatever you could call it, that Zak will go off the rails again, then that's up to them. I am in that category, but I'm neither egging him on to re-offend (should that be the right word), nor wishing it would happen. SL has too few genuinely talented players as it is, and would be a great pity to lose another.

If you get one season where he plays as he did for us (2015) or Cas in 2017 your gamble will have paid off. Personally, I'll be surprised if he's not brilliant in year 1. Keep him motivated and interested and he could be your best signing in a long time. IMO, of course.

Yes LeBron in 2016.



2017 September was the anniversary and he went on a mad un.


He got back with said missus. go figure.

Wane in the papers bigging up Zak, saying he'd play him this week if possible.

Probably just paper talk, last time I saw Zak he looked out of shape by his usual standards.

Any need to be posting personal stuff like that ?

You tell him, Purps!

In fairness to Lebron, this was made obvious in the published UKAD decision. Hardaker’s legal team argued that he’d experienced a “similar” trauma to Jake Livermore, who was not suspended despite testing positive for a banned substance after the death of his child. There’s quite a long bit about the panel in Hardaker’s case struggling with how much weight to give the “similar issue” that Hardaker’s defence put forwards, as it’s really difficult to judge the effect certain experiences have on people.
As an aside, I thought the panel did an extremely bad job of redacting certain information. Often, redactions are random lengths rather than the length of the actual words used, but in Hardaker’s case it’s pretty easy to work out what has been redacted. I would expect a professional body to do a much better job than they have in this respect.

Anyhow, Zak’s back in training and hopefully he’ll be okay. Player welfare (and indeed human nature) puts his health and well-being above club rivalry. I hope he proves to be a success, but I’ll still be hoping he saves his bad games for when he plays Cas.
I also notice he’s not moved to Wigan and is travelling from Pontefract every day to training. I hope he does move, as it might eventually get him away from the idiots he associates with.

Can't see Wigan allowing him travel on a perm basis. He and the club may well be sorting out living arrangements between them. I always thought Wigan insisted players lived within 10 miles or so of the town.

Yes

Regards

King James

Why is that ? No Yorkies ever commute over together ?

It takes too long to travel the cobbled bit of the M62 in Yorkshire

There’s an interview with Bateman on the Wigan today website. Zac is renting Batemans house while he is in Australia. https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-9363050

There’s an interview with Bateman on the Wigan today website. Zac is renting Batemans house while he is in Australia. https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-9363050

Tick tock..... a night on the razz in Ponte followed by an early-morning drive to Wigan isn’t the best idea.