Five potential destinations for ex-Wigan Warriors man Zak Hardaker

With the news that Zak Hardaker has been sacked by Wigan Warriors, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive about who will likely sign him.

With the fullback/centre expressing desire to move back to Yorkshire to be closer to his family it seems only natural to include only Yorkshire-based teams.

So, which five sides could sign him?

Leeds Rhinos

Imagine saying that a few years ago, Zak Hardaker would be back at Headingley – it would be instantly ridiculed such was his exit from the Leeds Rhinos. However, the club is desperate for new blood – CEO Gary Hetherington and interim boss Jamie Jones-Buchanan have made no secret about that. And, Hardaker would fit the bill as an experienced, extremely talented player who can play either fullback or centre – two positions that the Rhinos need. It would be a remarkable story and an unbelievable full circle, but stranger things have happened.

Castleford Tigers

One destination that would perhaps rival Leeds for its strangeness would be Castleford Tigers. Having played a key role in the club’s sensational 2017 season when they reached the Grand Final, Hardaker was sacked a week before that game for taking cocaine – a piece of news that Tigers fans have perhaps never forgotten. However, it’s on the field that counts and Castleford are struggling for centres and a fullback now that Niall Evalds is injured, with Hardaker fitting the bill completely. Would Lee Radford take a punt on the Pontefract lad like Daryl Powell?

Featherstone Rovers

It doesn’t at all seem unlikely that Hardaker could finish his career off where it all started – Featherstone Rovers. The club that gave him a chance as a teenager could well give him the last chance as an adult. The dream of reaching Super League with Rovers, too, could be a massive lure for the 30-year-old who will not want to give up on the top flight life just yet. The money is quite clearly there at Featherstone, it just remains to be seen whether Hardaker would want to drop down into the Championship.

Huddersfield Giants

One of the more surprising destinations, perhaps, but with Will Pryce currently serving a ten-match ban and Huddersfield Giants boss Ian Watson having to tinker in recent weeks, the capture of Hardaker on a short-term deal does not seem out of the question. However, Watson is building something magnificent at the John Smith’s Stadium and may not want to ruin that with a player who can’t seem to stay out of the limelight. How sensational would it be though if Hardaker was in the stands watching Huddersfield make the Challenge Cup Final where they played Wigan? A mere pipedream, perhaps.

Hull FC

Though it is as far away from Pontefract as Wigan, Hull FC wouldn’t be out of the question for Hardaker. Though it’s unlikely he would ever pin down the fullback role courtesy of Jake Connor, the Black and Whites are in desperate need of three-quarters following injuries to Josh Griffin, Adam Swift, Connor Wynne and Cameron Scott. It would also mean pairing up with Luke Gale once more – after the duo caused considerable pain whilst at Castleford in 2017. A fresh start at the other side of the country could be the catalyst for Hardaker to inspire a change in fortune at Hull.