Zak Hardaker acknowledges he cannot afford to make any more mistakes after Wigan Warriors offered him the chance to return to Super League.
The talented 26-year-old has signed a four-year deal to move to the DW Stadium, though he will have to wait until next year to make his debut.
Advertisement
Hardaker is serving a 14-month UK Anti-Doping ban - which runs until November - following a positive test for a banned substance while playing for Castleford Tigers last year.
He has had issues in the past, including serving a five-match suspension after being found guilty of homophobic abuse while at Leeds Rhinos in 2014, but his most recent indiscretion left him out of work and at rock bottom.
"I don't think you can get lower than I've been really," Hardaker said in an extensive interview on the club's website with former Wigan player Brian Carney.
"Before when I've got into scrapes I've got fined, or banned for a couple of games, and you’re still in that environment, still training and still on decent money. Life has not really changed.
"This time, though, my contract got terminated. I was halfway through a mortgage and that fell through, so me and my girlfriend had to get another house.
"I've been working since November, living on not a lot of money. I've not been the best with money in previous years, so I've had quite a low period.
"I've come out of that quite well, then when Wigan were interested in me it just lifted my spirits a little bit. That was the turning point. I [realised] I can't do this again, because I'll be working on minimum wage, struggling to get by."
The former Super League Man of Steel received interest from other clubs but hopes he can enjoy a "fairytale ending" with the Warriors, the club he supported as a boy.
"For the first two months I wasn't really bothered about rugby," Hardaker added.
"I just tried to get on with the case and get everything put forward. There were a lot of emails and meetings, and that occupied me for a few months.
"In the meantime, a few clubs came and talked to me. Then Wigan got in touch, and when you hear Wigan Warriors your ears prick up.
"When I heard that, and they knew what I was going through, I thought there could be a fairytale ending here."
