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Hull FC star Zak Hardaker.(Image: SW PIX)<\/p>\nThe in-form Hull FC star on his future, his milestone game, silencing critics, and Hull’s rise this year. Hull FC star Zak Hardaker.(Image: SW PIX)<\/p>\n
Hull FC veteran Zak Hardaker will play his 400th career game against Leeds Rhinos on Saturday afternoon but the 33-year-old has no intentions of slowing down just yet.<\/p>\n
In fact, Hardaker, who has a year still to run in his Hull contract, believes he can go on for at least three more years with a relaxed attitude towards his future. The centre, who has operated in a number of positions for Hull this year, revealed to Hull Live last month that there is a year\u2019s option on his contract \u2013 and that option works both in the club\u2019s and player\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s something Hardaker will sit down with CEO Richie Myler and discuss when the time is right, but there\u2019s no doubt the fire is still burning to keep playing on at a club where he\u2019s found a home away from this year.<\/p>\n
“Probably another 150,\u201d Hardaker told Hull Live when asked how many games he’s still got in him. \u201cIt’s mad \u2013 when I was at Leeds, I was playing 30 to 35 games a season, getting to finals and playing for England, so I played quite a lot of games early on.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow it’s a bit harder to get that volume of games but I’ve certainly got at least a good three years in me \u2013 a very good three years. I don’t know how many games I can rack up in that time. I’d definitely say I\u2019ll get to 450, maybe 500, and then we’ll see where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
And as for the option for a third year at Hull for the 2027 season, Hardaker continued: \u201cI’ve always been one to let the rugby take care of itself. I’ve played with Richie and we get on really well. It’s not something we’ve spoken about, but the contract and the option are there, and when we need to speak about it, I’m sure we will.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, it’s all about focusing on this year \u2013 we’ve still got four games left \u2013 and we’re trying to finish in the play-offs and see where we can go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
A crucial part of a resurgent side gunning for the top six this year, Hardaker is thriving. Whether at centre, back row, full-back, or half-back, he continues to come up trumps. His motivation is clear, with the player finally at the club he nearly signed for 13 years ago. He feels like he owes Hull \u2013 and that spurs him on.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s what made it a little bit special when I signed,\u201d Hardaker said. \u201cHull was a club I came to and toured. I looked at the training, the facilities, and the stadium. I was 16, and at that time you’re like, ‘Wow, imagine playing here,’ and then it was a last-minute call from Leeds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s another story, but Hull was near enough nailed on, so to come here towards the back end of my career is special. I felt like I owed the club something. I imagine things differently from other people; I’ve got a bit of a weird brain, but I always think they gave me that opportunity many years ago and all I can do now is try my best for the club week in, week out. My effort levels are always there and I just feel like I want to give this club something back. We’re slowly doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hull\u2019s turnaround has been substantial this year. Written off at the start of the season, Hull have defied expectation and now they can take a giant leap to sixth spot with victory over Leeds. That serves as a further incentive \u2013 that and one of Hardaker\u2019s favourite things to do: silencing the critics.<\/p>\n
He explained: \u201cIf you said (it\u2019d be in our hands now) back in November, some people would have laughed at you but the playing group wouldn’t have. We’re a confident bunch and we’ve got a massive game now against Leeds and it’s a game we need to win.<\/p>\n
“People said we’d finish near the bottom and again, that just lights the fire in my belly. We’ve used that as a bit of an incentive going into each week and I think we’ve surprised some teams early on in the season when we did turn up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re a hard-working team; we don’t do anything that fancy, but we’re a team who will grind games out. We’ve got players that are giving it their all.”<\/p>\n
And for Hardaker, who has played for his country and has won everything there is on offer to win at club level, the goal is simple: win something at Hull \u2013 something, amid some career reminiscing, he believes is a realistic target in the season’s to come.<\/p>\n
On his career highlights, Hardaker said: \u201cYou always say your debut \u2013 my debut for Featherstone against Hunslet, I scored a hat-trick. My debut at Leeds, and then the 2011 Grand Final, it was my 14th game and I scored my first try.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one at Leigh, the Leopards branding got laughed and joked at but again, it put fire in the belly. Everyone was taking the mickey out of us, a newly promoted team \u2013 it was a bit of a story, and to win the Challenge Cup at a town like Leigh, which is tiny, but the fans are passionate \u2013 it was a brilliant club to be at and I loved my time there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen making my debut for Hull and creating this new story. It\u2019s towards the end, but don\u2019t worry; I’ve got a few years left yet but it is towards the back end. I don’t know what will happen, but to do something special at Hull FC<\/a> as well would round it all off well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The in-form Hull FC star on his future, his milestone game, silencing critics, and Hull’s rise this year.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":343261,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4102],"tags":[115424,4151,6531,79,16,15,122036],"class_list":{"0":"post-379535","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-hull-fc","9":"tag-rugby","10":"tag-rugby-league","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-zak-hardaker"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115104755593930039","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/343261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}