With Leeds Rhinos coach Rohan Smith admitting the club currently has no salary cap room available to re-sign Zak Hardaker for 2023, the outside-back is off-contract and likely made his final appearance for the club in Leeds' 74-0 drubbing by New Zealand.
Hardaker was one of the Rhinos' standout players at the back end of the season, and his performances were vital in helping Leeds reach the Super League Grand Final. Now he is technically a free-agent and able to speak to other clubs. Plenty of fellow Super League sides will be keeping an eye on this development.
Although Leeds fans may wonder why there's no room on the cap as several stars have moved on from Headingley. Including long-serving players such as Brad Dwyer, Liam Sutcliffe, Bodene Thompson and Tom Briscoe, it looks like Hardaker will be joining them out the door as we take a look at four clubs that could potentially sign the 30-year-old, including one of his former employers.
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Castleford Tigers
Even though he left the club in controversial circumstances in 2017, plenty of Castleford Tigers fans would be happy to see Hardaker return to The Jungle. People move on, and although his absence from the 2017 Grand Final hurt the Tigers, people move on, and Castleford are a totally different club to the one that Hardaker left five years ago. He would offer Lee Radford something different to what the Tigers coach typically goes for in his outside backs, but there's no denying the former England international would improve Castleford. Like the other two clubs in this list, the location is perfect for Hardaker and could be a profitable move for both parties if it was to come off.
Hull FC
A bit of a left-field choice, but the indisputable fact is that Hull FC and coach Tony Smith could do with some more squad depth. Albeit they seem to be lacking grunt in the pack, the Black and Whites were decimated with injuries in 2022, including leading outside-backs Carlos Tuimavave and Adam Swift. There's also the possibility that star-man Jake Connor could depart the MKM Stadium, and fellow fullback Jamie Shaul spent time on loan in 2022, despite FC's injury crisis. The move would all depend on Hull moving some players on, but anything is possible in rugby league and Hardaker would bring plenty of longevity and experience to FC's back line if he were to join.
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Wakefield Trinity
Although he is a former player for his hometown club Featherstone Rovers, you have to rule the Flatcappers out due to the fact Hardaker is too good to be playing at Championship level. However, with the location of his new employers being so influential in his next move, Super League club Wakefield have to be considered. Trinity are going through a transition phase at the moment, with several leading figures departing Belle Vue at the end of 2022. If the money is right, Hardaker could be brought in to kick-start the Mark Applegarth era in West Yorkshire, as Trinity's fans are desperate to start seeing new players brought through the door.
Leigh Centurions
A curveball given Hardaker's public desire to return to West Yorkshire. But Leigh have recruited extensively, are continuing to bolster their squad and it's no secret that they are chasing domestic talent. There are unlikely to be any better players on the market. Could they make him an offer he couldn't refuse? Time will tell what happens there but it maybe is more likely than it seems.
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