Zak Hardaker is facing an uncertain future after being dropped by his club and discarded by his country following his failed drugs test.

The 25-year-old former Super League Man of Steel, who was axed from the grand final team by Castleford on the eve of Saturday’s decider with Leeds, was excluded from England’s World Cup squad on Monday after testing positive for cocaine.

The former Leeds fullback, who was tested after the Tigers’ Super 8s fixture with the Rhinos on September 8, became the third Super League player to be pinpointed for cocaine use in the past three months after Rangi Chase (Widnes) and Adam Walker (Wakefield).

Hardaker returned to the Super League this year after spending six months with the Penrith Panthers in the NRL in 2016.

Castleford acted after receiving notification of the failed test from UK Anti-Doping, who have yet to impose any sanctions in any of the cases although a two-year ban appears likely for all three.

Hardaker has four years left on his contract.

Wigan stood by another England international, Gareth Hock, after he was handed a two-year ban in 2009 for cocaine use. But it seems Castleford is determined to wait until the case runs its course before revealing whether they will do likewise.

The Tigers paid a Stg150,000 transfer fee to Leeds only in June when they made Hardaker’s move permanent.

Hardaker expressed his remorse in a statement released through the club’s website.

“I would like to apologise to my Castleford Tigers teammates, the staff and all fans for my enormous error of judgement.

“I was given an opportunity by this great club and in what has been one of the most important weeks in its history, I have let everyone at the club down. For that, I truly apologise.”

Hardaker, who was thrown out of the England camp during the last World Cup in 2013, was assured of a trip to Australia after re-discovering his form in 2017.

His absence will now pave the way for St Helens fullback Jonny Lomax to reclaim the No.1 jersey.

Lomax, arguably England’s best performer in last November’s Four Nations Series, missed the mid-season Test against Samoa through injury but got the nod ahead of Wigan’s Sam Tomkins.

The 17 Super League-based players will fly out of Manchester on Thursday and join up with their seven NRL colleagues for a 10-day training camp in Perth.

England and Australia open the World Cup tournament on October 27 in Melbourne.