Zak Hardaker’s former agent speaks out on relationship, move to Leeds Rhinos and what Luke Gale said

Zak Hardaker stunned the rugby league world when he made the move from Wigan Warriors to Leeds Rhinos over a week ago.

He had spent almost four seasons at the DW Stadium, but was moved between the positions of fullback, centre and wing.

Winning everything possible in the sport, Hardaker is now back where to his Super League career began – Headingley.

And, his former agent, Craig Harrison – or Show Me The Money UK – has spoken out on their previous relationship as well as his move to Leeds.

“I love Zak, I always will do,” Harrison said on The Full Eighty Minutes podcast.

“What a rollercoaster it was – you’re on about an agent/player relationship, we probably had a marriage for eight or nine years and then you think it was great and then crack on.

“I want to think Leeds have signed Zak for the right reasons – it smells of panic to me.

“If Zak can be anywhere near the player we know he can be, he’s a superstar and a lovely kid.

“He has just had his issues, but I always thought Zak’s curtain comes down at Fev (Featherstone).”

Harrison also had stern words to tell anyone that thinks Hardaker hasn’t ‘fulfilled his potential’ in rugby league.

“If we said to each other that 19-year-old Zak will play 200 SL games, played in the NRL, played in Grand Finals and won the Man of Steel, don’t ever tell me Zak has underachieved – he has overachieved.

“When he left Leeds, Cas paid £100,000 and he went to Cas with a lot of pressure on him.

“But, Luke Gale said after the second training session that they would win something because Zak was that missing piece.

“He was that awesome – they couldn’t believe it. Zak was unplayable – he was better than at Leeds.”