Wigan Warriors prop Ben Flower has admitted that he has lived to "regret" his high-profile punch on Lance Hohaia ever since the incident took place in last season's Super League Grand Final.
The 27-year-old is in line to make his return to the sport this week following a six-month suspension as a result of the attack on Hohaia, which left the St Helens man unconscious on the Old Trafford turf.
Speaking for the first time about the event which shamed Super League, Flower is quoted by The Guardian as saying: "It was horrible. I hated myself for what I did. It's brutal and it's something you don't do naturally. I'm not that person. I've not really watched it since then.
"I regret it every day. The rivalry with St Helens is there and playing them in the Grand Final was crazy. I knew it was going to be massive. So you were hyped-up to the max – and you've got to be to play in those games."
The six-month ban handed down to Flower remains the heftiest in the sport's history, and it led to the Welshman being fined 50% of his wages by Wigan for the duration of his spell in the stands.
Daniel Lewis
