Take two: Tigers bring Bateman back to NRL in $250k pick-up

The Wests Tigers have scored a major scalp ahead of the 2023 NRL season, with a $250,000 AUD pay out to the Wigan Warriors to secure the services of 2019 Dally M second-rower John Bateman.

The Concord club has already put together quite the forward pack, even before Bateman joins. Before the 2023 season, Api Koroisau will join as starting hooker and Isaiah Papali’i will play in the second row. There’s also a strong chance the Tigers will add either David Klemmer or Tyson Frizell before their next NRL campaign.

Stefano Utoikamano, Joe Ofehengaue, Alex Twal, and Fonua Pole are already on the team too.

Bateman will sign up for three seasons with the orange-and-black outfit.

It cost the Tigers around $250,000 to pry the 29-year-old English international away from Wigan, but coach Tim Sheens wanted the ex-Raider in particular to add “steel” and leadership to his pack.

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Bateman has already had a successful two-year run in the NRL between 2018 and 2019 which peaked with a grand final with the Canberra Raiders in his first year. The Bradford junior played 34 games for the capital’s rugby league club and scored eight tries. He was crowned second-rower of the year at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old has made 209 appearances in the Super League with Wigan and Bradford.

He is currently representing England at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. Since earning his first test cap in 2015, the world-class second-rower has played 19 times for the Lions and four times for Great Britain.

There’s no doubt Bateman would walk into the Tigers’ starting lineup, likely alongside fellow new recruit Papali’i, who received similar plaudits in regard to his skills at the 2021 and 2022 Dally M awards. Bateman may be slowly brought into the fold by Sheens considering England should go far in the World Cup.

All that remains to bring Bateman to Concord is personal details. Once he joins, he is likely to earn around $700,000 for his services every season and will sign a three-year agreement with the NRL club.

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