As he prepares to make his ‘second’ debut for Leeds Rhinos, Zak Hardaker says he had to come "home" for the sake of his family. The England international, 30, hopes to feature for Leeds at Salford Red Devils on Sunday after a traumatic few weeks.
Dropped by Wigan, he was then allowed to leave and, just over a fortnight ago, re-signed with Rhinos where he enjoyed such success before leaving for the NRL in 2016. However, the day after his signing was announced, Hardaker collapsed and suffered a suspected seizure while out walking with his young son Abel near their family home.
He was aided by an off-duty paramedic and taken to hospital before undergoing a series of tests. That meant his planned first game back against Hull KR didn’t happen but, thankfully, he is ticking all the boxes ahead of Sunday’s contest.
