A number of English Super League forwards reportedly sign for NRL side Wests Tigers

A number of English Super League forwards have reportedly signed for NRL side Wests Tigers.

The Tigers have been dire in 2022, winning just five games and finishing bottom of the NRL ladder, so a lot of hope is being pinned on recruitment for next season.

And, some of those are reportedly set to be from the UK.

“They’re spruiking around town that they’ve already got a couple of backrowers and middle forwards from England — no-one can attach a name to them,” Paul Kent told NRL360.

“I think that’s basically a hope for Tigers fans.”

Another journalist named one person that Wests are looking at.

“They are chasing John Bateman over in England,” James Hooper said on NRL360.

“They have been doing it for several months now, but internally they still think they have a chance.”

Bateman is one of England’s best back-rowers and he took the NRL by storm when he joined the Canberra Raiders back in 2019, helping them to the Grand Final before succumbing to Melbourne Storm.

Former teammate Elliott Whitehead has previously backed Bateman to return to the Australian competition.

“He [Bateman] was messaging me a minute ago … he said ‘mention me’,” Whitehead told News Corp.

“He definitely left before his time was over in the NRL,” Whitehead said.

“But he had his reasons at the time. I think if Covid wasn’t around he would not have left … but because of Covid, he didn’t get to see his daughter, it was hard for him.

“If people could come back and forth, I think it would have been a different story for both he and George Williams.”

It remains to be seen who these ‘English Super League forwards’ are, but Wests certainly need new direction and help whilst it could be a huge opportunity for some of those in the UK.