https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... d-28633638 Just when he seems to be settling down to family life, Zak does something stupid.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... d-28633638 Just when he seems to be settling down to family life, Zak does something stupid.

Leigh respond

I saw this story, or rather a thread over on the other forum but it was deleted as it was based on gossip at the time.

We'll see what comes of it.

Not the best news on the eve of the season. Zak was immense for us throughout last season. Lets hope Leigh's well drilled player care can ensure he is taken care of and he continues to perform for us.

Is this a Leeds culture issue? I see two of them have recently gone teetotal. Perhaps they need educating in their teens.

It makes more sense for Leigh to help rather than punish. Zak has always appeared to be someone in need of a guiding hand and an arm around the shoulder.

Real classy statement from the jaguars. No acknowledgment of how serious the crime is but they will support Zak. WTAF?? Support him?? He’s a repeated drunk driver. Absolute scum of the earth.

Does it? Does he? The only justification for Leigh 'supporting him' is his ability as a player. As a person, he's run out of excuses and must eventually take some responsibility for his actions and face the consequences of them. Driving at speeds of up to 88 miles per hours in a residential area whilst well over the drink drive limit? This isn't having one too many and making a show of yourself on a night out. He's incredibly fortunate he's not killed anyone and that he's not in prison for a spell.

Leigh need to be stronger with him. He should be sacked really, given his history, this isn't his first very serious behavioural incident. He's a massive risk to Leigh's reputation and that of the sport.

Taken care of? Not sure that's the right approach.

Ben Barba -

2017-18 – St Helens revival
Barba attends a rehab clinic in Thailand to help with alcohol issues before playing for Toulon.

But the rugby move proves a failure and the club sack him after four games.

He joins St Helens in the English Super League and revives his league career after serving the remainder of his cocaine ban.

Saints didn't mind (taking care of him), and giving him a lifeline.

This isn’t about Ben Barba - this is about Zak Hardaker who has had a life line thrown to him and by the looks of it he’s repeating previous misdemeanours.
Every one deserves a second chance , and he’s had his.
If we would of got Sailor over the line with a view of him being able to take over the right centre spot I think we would of seen a different outcome

Quite. I'm not suggesting people don't get a second chance. Rugby league is filled with people who have messed up and been allowed a second chance, I'm not suggesting we get all high and mighty. Zac however has had several second chances now (Including both of those issues). Barba's behaviour at Saints was impeccable, it had to be or he'd have been sacked. It was after he left us that he really got himself in trouble, when he returned home to his old stomping ground. A similar problem to Hardaker, letting him live in Yorkshire was a clear error on Leigh's part and this was rather inevitable. If he gets away with it again, what is the motivation for him to change, especially if he gets treated like a baby by Leigh, as it sounds like they're going to?

Homophobic, drug taking, student beating, drunk driving multiple times. What’s next on the Zak Hardaker bingo card for a full house?

I'm just reminding the Stain fans of the hypocrisy. Zak has been a naughty boy, and we have told that the club are supporting him. If you think there would've been a different outcome if Sailor was here; you're wrong.

I’m wrong for thinking something? Wow

Yeah, I think you're wrong. And?
The club have said they will support him henceforth, however, he will be on the last chance saloon.

You can’t be wrong for having an opinion, that’s called disagreeing

Whilst you may not agree with my thought process you can’t label it as wrong. Unless you are the person making the decision on his future , and I’m guessing you’re not .

I disagree then.

Why is it hypocritical? What did Ben Barba do at saints that required them to “support him” ?

I’m really glad you condone the behaviour of that absolute wrong un you have playing for you. You are just as classless as tin pot club you support

This is how Rugby League works. Joe Burgess breaks disciplinary rules at Salford. Salford sack him. Hull KR sign him with a clean sheet.
What is the point of that? Already Ben Barba has been discussed and his sins were washed away by Saints, and nobody cared as long as he was the star on the field.
Zak fell out with Wigan because they wanted him to move to the Wigan area it was not about the distance to travel to work, which is why it was ok when he signed for Leigh. He needs educating not punishing, and besides Leigh would be worse off without him.

The last line of your comment was exactly what I was alluding to in my post .
If we had cover , and by cover quality cover would we have run the risk of the negative response to undo all the good work we have done in removing the stigma of a poorly run club.

No it wasn't.

i think Hardaker's problem is Pontefract and his close circle of friends
At Wigan we took him following his drug ban, and before he'd kicked a ball in anger he'd been done for drink driving. we stood by him (rehab) etc and he moved to Wigan initially. He moved back once his girlfriend / wife had a child as she wanted to be closer to family, and then that's when the problems started again

I dont think Leigh have a cat in hells chance of sorting this guy out (and that's no dig at Leigh) if he stays in Ponte. He's in the wrong place and most likely with the wrong people to be able to get him to clean up his act

He must have almost blown his 9 lives now too. He's been given chances at 2 of the biggest clubs in the game, and then Cas and Leigh have also thrown him big lifelines before he threw them back in your faces

So, Zak thought he was being carjacked only to find out it was the police in an unmarked car who only decided to turn their flashing lights on when it got to high speeds. I'm not condoning Zaks behaviour but, the police could've done better, and this was a mitigating factor in his sentencing.

I mean, whichever way you want to paint it, Zak is the only one truly at fault here.

Zak must have been driving dangerously or giving indications of him being over the limit for the police to follow him at all. Then he decided to speed off at speeds of at least 70mph (police claiming they had to drive at 88mph to keep up, so take from that what you will) through a residential area, putting innocent people at risk of losing their life, in an attempt to flee a scenario that he had created in his own head all this while over the legal limit.

His defence claimed that he had "miscalculated" his alcohol consumption over the course of the evening. If you was somebody who already had a previous offense of drink driving (and had already attended a rehab course previously that Wigan sent him on), would you even attempt to calculate how much drink you could have and still be able to drive? I would expect that person be like any other normal, rational thinking individual and not attempt to drive at all when they have even took a sip.

A quote also from the St Helens Star "His solicitor conceded Hardaker may be unable to continue his career at the Challenge Cup holders due to losing his licence, and his position as a role model has been destroyed."

Sounds like he may now use this as a way to wriggle out of his Leigh contract, and to be fair i imagine it is now going to be difficult for him to travel for training etc. from Ponte to Leigh.

AFAIK - The club are supporting him. Settle down owd lad.