I don’t disagree with any of that. I guess Wigan have until his court case to see who is available and work out a plan.

I can’t see him putting on a Wigan shirt, whether that ends up being the right decision remains to be seen.

Agree with most that has been said.

What seems the case to me is that I've never heard of someone having their contract of employment terminated due to motoring offences.

That's what I thought.

But the other thought was the 'someone' with Class A drugs. Now Hardaker may not have have anything to do with that...............but he sure as hell knew who of his mates were on that sort of stuff. Or likely to be involved with that sort of stuff.

If he keeps going around with 'low lifes', then he has only himself to blame.

All this is not something new.

My old dad was a close friend of Martin Ryan. They went to St.Josephs together in the 1920's/ 1930's. In that same time frame was a lad, who was in my Dads opinion and many other RL players from the late 1930's/1940's, a bit of a prodigy. His name was Billy Ritchie - a scrum half. He was reputedly even more skilled than Andy Gregory .

But he loved 'ale' more than playing for Wigan. Sometimes it can't be fixed.

And that’s the thing is t it?

It’s just motoring offences,as long as that’s all it is it’s a bit harsh to lose your job because of it unless driving is the main job and as far as I’m aware he won’t be driving the bus so it seems to me that’s what the club will look at,not as the baying mob would have,his ban included in his latest crime.

Gut instinct if it’s just a driving offence I think the club will stand by him under instruction that he moves here ASAP.

It’ll depend on what we’ve written in to his contract. If that was relating to drug offences then he’ll probably stay but if it’s general behaviour then surely he’ll be gone.

Not down playing drink driving as it is disgraceful imo but he could’ve done a whole number of things wrong and I’d want rid. The top and bottom line is that currently the guy needs to be squeaky clean to start building some trust. To do something as serious as this within a month of training with the club is simply ridiculous and a sign that it’s pointless trying to help him IMO.

His contract runs from November doesn’t it?

There are lots of people who lose their jobs for drink driving, and other motoring offences such as dangerous driving speeding etc.

There are lots of people who lose their jobs for drink driving, and other motoring offences such as dangerous driving speeding etc.

How about turning up for training having had a skinful the night before- is that not treating the club with disrespect?

Surely it would be in the mind of any new employee to try and make a good impression from the start especially one with a chequered history of previous issues. I am sure there are all sorts of clauses in his contract relating to behaviour and not getting into any kind of trouble - which he has not managed to do before even playing a game for the club.

If the club stands by him then it would send out a very dangerous message to other players about what the club will put up with if you are a good enough player - especially after standing up for the clubs image with the Joel Tomkins affair, standing by Hardaker would be hypocritical to say the least.

someone I once worked with was dismissed for drink driving. They were arrested and charged with drink driving as they were on their way to work, they held an office job not a driving one. They intended to turn up for work intoxicated and so were dismissed. Tribunal upheld the decision.

Also uninsured and no MOT... Plank.

Think that you will be right on the Gut instinct and the sooner he moves in to Batemans house away from his scum mates the better.

You really need to give your head a shake, It's just motoring offences, What if he had knocked over a little kiddy or even killed a little kiddy, even worse what if it had been a member of your family, would it still be acceptable behaviour as it's just motoring offences?, The way some fans are sticking up for him is unbelievable, He has been given a last chance, It doesn't matter what he has done, by getting arrested he has p!$$ed all over it and proved that he is a lost cause, The club should cut their losses now before he can do more damage, Let him go to some other club that's stupid enough to sign him and if he does come back and score tries against us then big whoopedy doo, players are always going to score against us, That's the whole point of the game ffs

There is nothing unusual for employees to lose their jobs for conduct outside the workplace. No business likes to get bad publicity and having your name and your employers name all over the national papers and on the TV over incidents like this are grounds for dismissal.

And that’s what I was trying to get out amongst the hysteria surrounding this,Wigan should only be looking at his behaviour that is in regards to his time at this club,you can’t keep harping back to the many incidents with him,Lenegan decided to go down the rabbit hole Hardaker so it can’t be a surprise to them that this has happened.

The trouble as I see it is what happens if they decide to get rid the president it sets is one they’d have to apply the same ruling to everyone else surely,you can’t have one rule for one etc,so imagine the outcry when in the future fans favourite does the dafty and drink drives and gets caught,out the door you’d go surely?

It matters not what or wether I want to see him stay,in the end of the day he is a very talented lad but clearly has massive issues that perhaps needs sorting away from the game,but as I say to get the sack for just driving offences is harsh and the president it would set is something no doubt they’re trying to work out.

The one thing is for sure Wigan will have the facts,not the shrieking hysteria of threads like this,the facts and not what ifs and while it may disrupt pre season I hope they make the right move for the club,not Hardaker he’s been given a golden chance and seems to have blown it,that leads to the bigger question who’s move was it,Lenegan,Rada,Wane?

You could say a precedent was set when Joel Tomkins was shown the door. Maybe that was the line drawn in the sand for the players. Behave like professionals or your out!

Wigan will sack him if they decide he has brought the club into disrepute rather than the offence itself. I’ve no doubt that will be a clause in his and most if not all contracts.

Wigan also can’t make any public statement or decision until the court case which I think I read somewhere is the 11th October. Should he be found guilty then we have a decision to make, if not then he plays for us next year.

Bottom line is we have until the court case to prepare for a guilty verdict and decide what to do should that happen. Until then we won’t hear any more from the club about it.

Clutching at straws thinking he might be found not guilty. Drink driving is pretty simple - if you’re over the prescribed limit then you’ve not really got anywhere to go. Pleading not guilty is asking for a more severe punishment.
I’m not sure is necessarily the drink driving that’s going to get him sacked, but the fact that getting caught has highlighted the fact that he’s out on the razz when he’s supposed to be training the next day.

I didn’t say I thought he would be not guilty, nor am I clutching at straws. Try reading a post before replying.

What I said was Wigan cannot and will not act before the court case. The law in this country is innocent until proven guilty.

It doesn't work like that for drink driving though does it, your either over the limit and guilty or you are not, If you are going to court then you are guilty end of, you can can offer mitigating circumstances but that will only go towards the severity of the outcome

It does. As things stand he has been charged for driving over the limit and without an MOT & insurance. I think we all know what the result of the court case is going to be however at this time he has been charged not found guilty in a court of law.

Your not getting what i'm trying to say and i can't be d trying to retype it all so i'll leave it

Wigan can't sack someone who is not employed by them, don't forget his contract doesn't start until his ban is up. I hope what they can do is have a clause that will nullify the contract, either before or after it starts, because of pre-determined unacceptable behavoir.

I don’t care how we do it, just get rid of the plank.

I think the point isn’t that this particular offence is pretty clear cut in terms of evidence. You can’t really dispute not being over the limit if the intoximeter records you as over the limit. If he hadn’t been over the limit he wouldn’t have been charged.
Ten bets he can go is plead guilty and mitigate. Pleading innocence is never a good idea in drink driving cases, unless of course you want to incur the wrath of the magistrate who has to listen to a pointless argument.