Sam Burgess has confirmed John Bateman’s move to Warrington has been in the works for some time as more details about the forward’s bizarre late-season exit from the Wests Tigers emerge. Bateman will leave the Tigers with six NRL games left in their season to take up a short-term loan deal playing under Burgess at Warrington in the Super League.
He is then reportedly returning to the Tigers next year to complete the final two years of his existing deal. The unprecedented move has been met with much scepticism in NRL circles, with many believing it’s a cut-and-run job designed to ship Bateman out of Concord for good.
The Tigers claim the move will save them more than $100,000 on this year’s salary cap but critics aren’t buying it as justification for releasing a high-profile player before the season is up. Bateman has been struggling at the bottom-of-the-table Tigers but it’s unheard of for a player to quit a club, sign with another club and then return to his original club to see out a contract.
Rookie coach Burgess, who has guided the Wolves into second on the Super League table, acknowledged he had been in talks with Bateman for a number of weeks. “We felt there might be an opportunity there – we’ve got space to do something – but I can’t really confirm anything because there’s nothing to confirm so we’re just working on it,” Burgess told UK media.
“It’s just an opportunity for us to strengthen what we’ve already got. John came through the Bradford system with my brothers – underneath me – and came through with a group of players like Elliott Whitehead and we’re all still great mates, always have been since being young lads.
“We all know what John can bring – he’s a great competitor, he’s got some great rugby in front of him but there’s no point talking about what he can bring until we actually bring him here. There’s a bit to get done.”
The Tigers have not made any official announcement regarding Bateman’s Warrington move or his long-term future at the club, adding to the intrigue and confusion. The 30-year-old is on around $700,000 a year at the Tigers and it appears coach Benji Marshall believes that money could be better spent elsewhere.
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