Koukash warns Hock to prepare for costly legal battle

Salford owner Dr Marwan Koukash has refused to back down in his club’s ongoing dispute with Leigh Centurions about Gareth Hock.

Leigh have insisted that Hock will be available to play against the Red Devils in the Challenge Cup next week, despite the Salford owner insisting that the player made an agreement not to play against his former club.

Koukash has previously maintained that there is an agreement in place, and he expects it to be adhered to, as Salford are still paying a percentage of Hock’s wages.

Now he has warned Leigh that if Hock does play, he can expect a costly legal battle about the situation.

“I am also very disappointing to see our Challenge Cup rivals Leigh commenting and gloating in public about the fact we will have players out for the Challenge Cup tie,” Koukash wrote in his Manchester Evening News column.

“I am not happy with this.

“Let me just remind Leigh that if Gareth Hock plays, I hope he has very deep pockets for a legal battle.

“I have an agreement with Gareth and it is in black and white. I am not expecting him to play.”

Koukash has also reacted defiantly to his players Rangi Chase and Weller Hauraki being given bans of seven and four games respectively, for infractions over the Easter Weekend.

“We also have injury set backs to contend with but we have got where we are thanks to strong determination and will continue to channel our energy into doing just that,” he added.

“We will not uses suspensions and injury as an excuse – the weak do this and there will be a strong siege mentality from Salford.

“We are fighters.

“I am not going to let people urinate on my shoes and then have them try to tell me it is raining.

“I do not tolerate this because I am a strong winner.”