Hardaker hoping to upset Roosters and repay Wigan’s show of faith
Zak Hardaker, the former England full-back, is expecting a Test-match atmosphere when his Wigan side take on Sydney Roosters for the right to be called world champions.
The 27-year-old will be playing in his third World Club Challenge, having won one and lost one with Leeds, and concedes the star-studded Australian side will go into tomorrow’s game at the DW Stadium as favourites.
“The week’s build-up is like an international,” he said. “It’s a big rugby league town and all the fans have been excited about it for the last few weeks. The Australians come here as favourites I think. Everyone expects us to get beat.
“We’re going up against the likes of Cooper Cronk, James Tedesco, Jared Waerea Hargreaves, Boyd Cordner, the list goes on, and when I speak about them, it just gets me excited. You want to play against the best and that’s certainly what we’ll be doing on Sunday.”
The annual showdown between the champions of Super League and the NRL will provide only a third Wigan appearance for Hardaker. He had feared the big occasions were a thing of the past as he faced the prospect of his career being cut short while in his prime.
Sacked by Castleford after testing positive for cocaine in the runup to the 2017 Grand Final, he put his Wigan career in jeopardy when caught drink-driving just days after starting training with his new club.
However, Wigan stood by the former Leeds player after he agreed to attend a rehabilitation course at Sporting Chance.
Hardaker impressed new coach Adrian Lam enough to claim the full-back role ahead of Morgan Escare, who had already been given Sam Tomkins’s old No 1 jersey.
Hardaker insists he is a reformed character and says he is determined to make the most of his latest opportunity. “It’s brilliant,” he said. “When I signed last year, I was hop- ing Wigan would win the Grand Final and my mates were saying, ‘ You could play in the World Club Challenge’.
“It seemed so far away at the time. Pre-season was tough and Morgan got the No 1 shirt, so it was all down to training hard and taking my chances when they’ve come.
“I think I’ve done all right in the two games so far and my third is a World Club Challenge, which is a bit surreal, but I’m looking forward to it. At first, I was just thankful to be playing. I was really happy to be picked, and now I’m getting to the stage where I want to be the best again. I’ve got that hunger back and that drive. It’s a big test on Sunday but I love being tested.”
Wigan won the World Club Challenge in 1987, 1991, 1994 and, most recently, in 2017 when they overcame Cronulla Sharks. Roosters beat Wigan in the 2014 final at Sydney Football Stadium and have won three world titles.
Super League’s leading referee, Robert Hicks, will complete a hattrick when he takes charge of tomorrow’s game, having controlled both domestic finals in 2018.