Zak Hardaker hits out at rival fans

This week the comments of Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont after a controversial defeat to Wigan Warriors have dominated headlines in rugby league.

This has lead to widespread criticism from fans of rival clubs including some fans who have stated they hope or think Leigh will fail on the back of these comments.

One fan said: “Leigh will be a one season wonder and Derek won’t be able to handle the failure now he’s had a taste of success. I’d genuinely be worried for the future of the club if I was a Leigh fan.”

Now Zak Hardaker has responded promising to “screenshot” the post as Leigh look to prove him and other wrong.

The video was captured at an event after the game and shared on fan page Rugby League Humour as well as other places.

In the video, Beaumont can be seen saying: “All we can talk about is the performance of a referee, yet again.

“I’ve got a guy, a guy down there who is in charge of a group of players and to me, like I see the work that goes in week in week out from them, from all the coaching staff, the medical staff.

“I see the work they put in, I see the weights they lift, I see the metres they run, I see the wrestle they do, I see the contact they put into each other.

“I see how much it means to them and I see how much they care about everybody in this room, then I see one person go (mimics no try signal) with a signal like that, that’s incorrect, and rob them and you lot of being able to watch us play at home next week and that isn’t right.

“We’ve all got kids and there’s kids in here and I definitely wouldn’t call them kids because they’re big grown tough men and athletes, but they’re my kids. I treat them like my family and they fight hard for me.

“I feel hurt when they get abused and I’ve seen it too many times now, and I don’t care if anyone’s filming it because I’ve told the RFL clean and square.”

He went on to speak about the trophy presentation party:

“They’re all in my box, all with the presentation party, the trophies are already in the stadium, all the boards are already sat in here and waiting, and it’s impossible to move it from here to St Helens.

“Then the decision gets dealt with by a decision by the referee who were appointed by the people who were running the game and decided what goes on. Okay! No helicopter needed, because we can’t afford one.

“I’ll put it out there because unfortunately this is not an investable sport anymore to me, which is obviously very concerning.

“So unless it changes, I won’t be investing in it any further and I’m sorry to say that in here but when my wife comes up to me and says ‘I’ve had enough’.

“She sees the pain and the emailing all night till midnight and me kids saying ‘I just want to tell you I’m going to bed’ whilst I text Robert back about being fined 15 grand for a pitch invasion at St Helens.

“I haven’t the energy for it. I’ve had enough, we’ve got this (points to Challenge Cup trophy), it’s been brilliant, but for me, unless the game changes and unless the outcome is decided by athletes and coaches, I can’t be involved in it anymore.

“That’s where it’s at and that’s how serious it is, hopefully the game can change but I’ll leave you on a positive. You’ve met my American friends and my South African friends. They’ve got more money than the whole of what Sky give for the game in three years than they could drop out their arse end in a week.

“So maybe what you will see is me step out of this charade and set up a proper, super league, called ‘Ultimate Rugby’ with proper rugby players, where it’s not decided by the referees, it’s decided by the athletes because that’s the only alternative.

“We won’t need a broadcaster that stands my coach down and says, ‘oh we’re not going to interview you now because we’re just going to do the presentation so we’ll speak to you after that’. Is that not disrespectful in the highest order?

“So that’s why I said no, we won’t be speaking to him after they’ve lifted the trophy and if you haven’t got time to speak to him before we do it and delay that, and that’s why I pulled what is all in.

“Saints or Catalans, whoever it is who’s finished second I’m not sure, but they’ve been robbed.

“I said to Matt Peet congratulations because I actually think that Wigan deserve to win the League Leaders Shield, as much as some of you won’t like hearing me say that, I think all of this season they genuinely do deserve to win that.

“I think since they played us here in that first game, they’ve been the best team in the comp but I think you saw it tonight, that actually the best team in the comp was us.

“But winning this beautiful thing here (Challenge Cup Trophy) took a lot out of us and we probably conceded it.”

You can watch the video here.