Hardaker looks to his future outside game
FORMER England international Zak Hardaker has taken a job outside rugby league as he awaits his fate over a failed drugs test.
The 26-year-old Castleford fullback has been suspended since October after testing positive for cocaine towards the end of the 2017 Super League season and is still awaiting a hearing by UK AntiDoping.
A two-year ban looks the likely punishment and, although Castleford have yet to indicate whether or not they will stand by the player, head coach Daryl Powell has revealed the club has helped find the former Leeds man a job outside the game.
“I’ve had a couple of chats with him,” Powell said at the club’s pre-season media day at Knottingley.
“I think the club have been great with him in terms of helping him get a job and that’s important for him to move on as he comes out of this.”
Hardaker, who has four years left on his Tigers contract, was shortlisted for the Man of Steel award he won in 2015 after recapturing his form in 2017 but he was dropped for the Grand Final and left out of England’s World Cup squad following the failed drugs test and is not part of Powell’s plans for 2018.
Instead, Powell will move Samoa international Ben Roberts from stand-off to full-back and is expecting him to make a success of the switch.
“Obviously we didn’t want to lose Zak but Benny Roberts is a natural full-back and it will be interesting to see how he handles the position, particularly the physical demands of it,” Powell said. “It’s a very anaerobic position and Benny’s a speed athlete so he’s got some challenges there.
“The one thing he will give us is that he’s a little bit better out of dummy half than Zak and he’s very difficult to handle on the edges with his running game.”
Former Giants playerJamie Ellis, who has returned to the club, is favourite to partner Luke Gale in the halves but he could miss the opening game at St Helens on February 2 after turning his ankle in training and that could allow promising youngster Jake Trueman to leapfrog him in the pecking order.
“Jamie rolled his ankle so he’ll be out for two or three weeks,” Powell said. “It’s obviously disappointing but we’ll have to wait and see how he is when he comes out of his boot.
“We’ve got Jake Trueman as well and he’s training outstandingly well. He’s going to push to get a spot.”
Forward Gadwin Springer, who has a groin problem, is the only other injury concern for the Tigers, who have tied up hooker Paul McShane on a long-term contract.
McShane, 28, who joined the club from Wakefield midway through the 2015 season, had two years left on his deal but extended his stay to the end of 2022.
“It gives me five years to really crack on and settle into a place that I really enjoy playing,” he said. “This deal will take me through the best parts of my career.”