Wigan say they will not allow new signing Zak Hardaker's conviction for drink driving to disrupt their preparations for Saturday's Super League grand final.
The former England fullback, who has signed a four-year contract with the Warriors, has been given a 20-month ban from driving after performing an "amateurish attempt" to evade police officers whilst more than two times over the drink drive limit.
Hardaker's appearance at Leeds Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to the offence, came just 48 hours out from the club's 10th grand final appearance at Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old former Leeds fullback, who was named Man of Steel in 2015, is still serving a 14-month ban for cocaine use.
He signed for Wigan in May and, although he is not officially allowed to join up with them until November 8 when the ban expires, he was allowed to begin training at the club a month ago.
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The court heard how Hardaker had drunk "two gins and six pints" when officers spotted him driving erratically, prompting him to pull into a cul-de-sac along Knottingley Road, in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
Prosecutors told how Hardaker, who had been to a pub earlier in the evening, was seen to exit his Ford Fiesta via the driver's side and, along with a passenger, run away from the police on foot.
Officers then attended the player's nearby home, where he initially denied that the vehicle was his or that he had been driving it at the time of the offence.
The court was told that, upon being taken to a police station, Hardaker "came to his senses" and admitted his offences.
The controversial Hardaker, who played 11 NRL games for Penrith in 2016, will now face an anxious wait to discover if the case will affect his future at Wigan.
