Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ZAK: MY DEBT TO ADAMS
Hardaker set for Warriors bow after lift from Tony
ZAK HARDAKER has revealed the role played by incoming RFL president Tony Adams in his rehabilitation as he prepares to play for the first time since September 2017.
Hardaker is expected to feature for new club Wigan in Sunday’s friendly at Salford, having served a 14month cocaine ban.
He then admitted being twice over the drink-driving limit in October just weeks after linking up with the Warriors, and spent time at Adams’ Sporting Chance with supervision from the club.
Adams (right) will take on his ambassadorial role in July after his clinic helped over 400 rugby league players with addictions, which now includes Hardaker. The former England fullback spent 26 days living alongside three footballers and says Adams’ own story helped his recovery.
Hardaker said: “Tony came down the last week I was there and did a session with us for the day. He’d been down to Wigan a couple of weeks before I went in, to do a talk about Sporting
Chance.
“He said he could remember seeing me there and we had a little talk about the issues and he told us his story, which was mind-boggling to be fair.
“There were similarities between us – not all of it but the drinking side of it and keeping some of the issues inside and not speaking about them.
“He said that was a massive thing for him and I can totally relate to that.”
Now Hardaker is keen to get back on the field at Salford and put a long list of bad headlines behind him.
He added: “I’m just really looking forward to some rugby and running the ball in at someone. “I know that sounds daft, but it’s just everything that comes with rugby league – I’ll be buzzing.
“I need to be careful not to get too excited because I’ve done that before and played rubbish.
“When I get out there I’ll probably look at the sky, or my mum in the stands, and realise what could have been and where I am now – and I’ll be really thankful for that.”