Career Record for Featherstone
Appearances			Tries	Goals	Drop Goals	Points
Total	Start	Sub
288	281	7	131	151	1	827

In 2018, Ian Hardman became that rarest of modern players when he completed ten years service as a full-back to his club, Featherstone Rovers. This seems all the more remarkable for player born on Merseyside and who spent the first six years of his career as a winger at St. Helens. By the time he retired, Hardman had established himself as one of Featherstone’s finest full-backs and our third greatest try scorer of all time.

After signing for Saints as a 17 year old, and four seasons on the fringes of their first team, he spent 2007 on loan at Hull KR and 2008 on loan at Widnes. It was a surprise however when he moved to Featherstone for the 2009 season. Once established at number one, Rovers played very few games in the ensuing decade without his reassuring presence at the back. Solid under the high ball, positionally intelligent and more than useful injecting himself into the attacking line, Hardman saw off a variety of challenges to his position over his career. Full-back in all four Grand finals from 2010 to 2014, he ended his first year as top try scorer on 18. His yearly returns were so consistent that on retiring, his figure of 131 tries had only been bettered by John Newlove and Don Fox. Twice he scored five tries in a match, v Doncaster in 2009 and London in 2016.

He was awarded an RFL benefit season in 2016 and was made club captain in 2017 and 2018. As a player Hardman started to get involved in community development projects at the club and when he retired from playing, he went full-time in a similar capacity with Leeds Rhinos. After a spell as Director of rugby at Featherstone, in 2022 he became Brian McDermott’s assistant coach.