The investigation/UKAD outcome is irrelevant, that is all I will add.

So is your contact Zak or is it someone at the club?

If it's the latter, are we looking at anyone else? We need to be, given how much poundage in the pack we're shedding.

Unfortunately Hardaker is on a very rapid downward spiral.
He’ll be lucky if he’s not in prison when his ban ends. Even if he isn’t, if he continues his current lifestyle, he’ll be in no fit state to play RL when he returns.

I will be totally honest, I have no idea what the clubs transfer targets are. I speak with the players at Wigan on a regular basis as a few of them have supplementation requirements that I handle. Whilst I hold my hands up and admit I am not a level with them where they would happily tell me "inside info" most of what is posted here gets talked about and on most occasions none of them seem to have a clue who is coming in, only who is leaving. That being said, whilst most of the Wigan lads I spoke with were all positive regards Zak joining it would appear all is not well with management in this instance and I would agree with NottinghamTiger, he is not entirely blameless in that. I would imagine at some point, it will all come out, until then I would say what has been said isn't far off the mark.

I know Zak personally, and as of Tuesday evening, there is very little chance of us signing him.

When we (Cas) signed him someone I know who works at Leeds said “great player, nice lad but unfortunately there is no cure for stupidity”.

If everybody who is rumoured to be leaving Wigan at the end of the season actually leaves, it’ll be one heck of a squad overhaul. Off the top of my head, Tomkins, Gildart, Burgess, Bateman and Sutton are all rumoured to be leaving with Leuluai and Lockers set to retire. Rads must be a very busy man trying to recruit adequate replacements!

I can understand why rumours may exist that Joel may leave or retire plus Bateman and Sutton coulkd depart.
Why though would we lose Burgess and Gildart? An on form Joe is one of the best wingmen in SL. Gildart is only 21 and has years in front of him. Why would we not offer him a deal after spending a lot of money and time developing him?
Some rumours often turn out to be true some not. Interesting to see who is re-signed on new deals and who is not.

O’Loughlin doesn’t sound like a man who’s thinking of retiring either when you listen to him.

I’m not sure the overhaul of the squad will be significant tbh. I’m pretty sure Sutton will go and probably Bateman as well but I don’t see too many more exits after that.

FT & NK I agree with you both. I can’t see most of the rumours coming to fruition either. Lockers is still putting himself up for England duty so I think barring major injury he’ll do at least another season. I do think Bateman and Sutton will go and we will definitely need some reinforcement in the pack.

In the off season didn't Kris R say that there would be big changes at the end of the season with several players leaving, retiring or being released?

I heard Bateman will be staying

Lockers will do another year beyond 2018, no doubt about it. I appreciate its still early into 2018 but he is looking tip top and hopefully can keep injury free this season. we'd be daft not to extend his contract(although I already thought we had to be fair?!)

Bateman won't be leaving this season or next either, he is being offered a bumper deal to stay here for another few years (which i'm told he has accepted provisionally and an announcement is due on this soon). he will go to the NRL from there i'm sure, when he is more or a wigan legend and everyone wants their hands on him!