Zak is back to take on the Red Devils
FORMER England full-back Zak Hardaker will make his comeback from a 14-month drugs ban against Salford Red Devils on Sunday.
The 2015 Super League Man of Steel, who has completed his suspension for cocaine use, will make his first appearance for the Warriors in the pre-season friendly.
The 27-year-old former Leeds and Castleford player signed for Wigan last May but, after a drink-driving conviction, was forced to undertake a period of rehabilitation for alcohol dependence at the Sporting Chance clinic before being given the opportunity to resurrect his career.
“He’s been outstanding,” Wigan’s new head coach Adrian Lam said. “I think his head is in a great place.
“Time will tell but as a club, we’ve invested a lot of time and effort making him a better person and help him make better choices.
“It’s my role to make him a better player and I think our priority is to make sure he stays grounded. He’s bought into it really well. I can see some happiness in him and I talk to him nearly every day.”
Meanwhile, Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan has branded as ‘stupid’ the Rugby Football League’s decision to ask Catalans Dragons for a £500,000 bond to defend the Challenge Cup.
The governing body suffered an £800,000 shortfall in its financial budget for the 2018 Challenge Cup after just 50,672 people watched the Dragons’ historic win over Warrington at Wembley and made the unusual move in an attempt to avoid a repeat.
The decision was taken as Wigan collaborate with the Perpignan club to attract a 50,000 crowd to the Nou Camp for their groundbreaking Super League fixture in May.
“I think it’s stupid in that regard,” Lenagan said.
“I think it’s a poor decision and I think it’s an ill-thought-out decision, to be perfectly honest.
“Attendances being down at the Challenge Cup is not a Catalansbased problem. Those attendances have been diminishing because of poor marketing and poor promotion of the cup as a whole.
“The attendances during the cup aren’t great, so we have to - through the RFL - address the Challenge Cup problem. Stopping the holders entering the cup unless they pay a premium is not the best decision.”
The Catalans, who yesterday announced the departure of the club’s chief executive Christophe Jouffret, have asked the RFL to reconsider its demand and talks are ongoing between the two bodies.
The RFL is also seeking a new sponsor for the Challenge Cup after the deal with Ladbrokes ended last August.
Meanwhile, Lenagan says the French club are expecting to take 20,000 fans to Barcelona for the league fixture against the champions and believes the game could have widespread benefits for Super League.
“It’s got charisma, hasn’t it?” he said. “It’s got that special buzz about it and I felt it when I travelled to Barcelona at the launch event. We know thousands have booked flights to go from Wigan and whether that figure will be 5,000 or 10,000, I don’t know.”