Australian media have taken a major swipe at one England Rugby League star claiming that they’ve undermined any ‘chance of a stable future’.
That comes after England comfortably beat Samoa 34-18 with Warrington Wolves winger Matty Ashton scoring a brace in a game where England’s NRL contingent shone.
Both Herbie Farnworth and Victor Radley scored whilst Dom Young set up Mikey Lewis to score England’s sixth, however, one man contracted to an NRL side has taken pelters from the Aussie media after his performance.
That man is John Bateman whose future has been the subject of much speculation Down Under despite the second-rower consistently confirming that he is contracted to Wests Tigers.
Bateman would make the loan move to join Warrington Wolves in the latter half of the season but when speaking to Serious About Rugby League recently he confirmed that he’d be playing his Rugby League in Australia in 2025.
“I’ll be going back,” the 31-year-old explained, before adding: “I’ve not really spoken about it but yeah, I’m going back to Wests. I’ve got two years there and that’s all it is really to be fair, I’m going back there.
“I’ve got two years on my contract there, it’s all up in the air with people saying this and that but for me and for Wests, I’ve spoken to my agent and he’s let them know that I’m going back so yeah, we’re good to go.”
England Rugby League star subject of Aussie media criticism
Now though, Australian media have taken a swipe at Bateman and suggested that his performance against Samoa has done his career no favours.
Assessing the game, The Daily Telegraph raved about the exploits of Herbie Farnworth, even arguing that he ‘can be one of the biggest stars in the NRL’, but they were harsh in their verdict of Bateman.
After reporting that Manly were looking to sign Bateman, The Telegraph claimed that the 31-year-old’s performance did him no favours as they claimed: “With his future in the spotlight at the moment, it’s the last thing he needs.”
Those comments came in reference to the minor scuffle that Bateman was involved in during what was a fiery game with almost all 26 men coming together at one point.
They would argue that Bateman ‘sparking’ the push and shove was his ‘main impact’ which is a brutal assessment. They’d go further, claiming that such ‘ill discipline undermines his chances of a stable future in the game’.
It was alleged that a fallout between Bateman and Wests Tigers head coach Benji Marshall led to his loan move to Warrington, something that the club announced 14 minutes into a game which appeared to highlight some disregard for the Englishman.
Whilst he seems to be steadfast that he’ll return to Wests and see out his contract, such talks in the Australian media could suggest otherwise. For now, the ex-Wigan man will be focusing on the second Test against Samoa.