SO HARD TO IGNORE VOCAL HERO
Hardaker: Empty grounds mean team-mates can’t hide from my tongue-lashings
Hardaker does not hold back if he feels a team-mate deserves a rollicking
ZAK HARDAKER says playing in empty stadiums has exposed his team-mates to his ruthless on-field rollickings.
The Wigan centre has revealed how he has no problem letting his fellow Warriors know if standards are dropping during matches.
And the lack of noise in Super League grounds at present means that Hardaker’s verbal lashings are not going unheard.
He said: “We’re big on accountability, especially for myself – on and off the pitch. As soon as it’s game day, it’s all the focus on what we’ve worked on in the week and putting that into practice. And when you see someone slacking I like to remind them.
“When the fans are there, sometimes you’re not heard. Now, with no fans, you can shout at people and they can hear you.
“You’ve got Sam Powell ruling the ruck, Jackson Hastings is very vocal, and I’ll say what I think is right or wrong. I’m always talking – and sometimes it may get on the boys’ nerves.” Hardaker, 28, admits he has gone too far at times in the past, as table-toppers Wigan look to make it four straight wins since the restart against Hull KR.
He added: “At Leeds, one time we were playing Warrington and Ian Kirke wasn’t doing his job right.
“Coach Brian McDermott said at half-time, ‘Is there anything you boys want to say?’ I left it for five minutes, just bubbling away, and it got too much for me and I went at him quite hard. Straight after the game I apologised!
“I’ve done it to Joe Bullock as well, not to be nasty – I’ve told him he could be one of the best props in England but some of the things, if they’re a bit sloppy, I’ll tell him.
“I think everyone knows now what’s said in training and in games, it’s taken in good stead, it’s not malicious, it’s not personal. Three wins from three since coming back from lockdown was the target, the performances haven’t been 9/ 10 but we can swing that as a positive, we’re grinding out wins.
“The key is just be us, be Wigan Warriors, be ruthless.”