John Bateman has been touted as leaving Wigan Warriors for much of the off-season by reports in Australia.
The superstar back-rower is expected to head back to the NRL where he has already had a successful stint with the Canberra Raiders during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
His time in Australia saw him earn both personal and team accomplishments. He helped the Raiders make their first Grand Final in 25 years and also earned the Daly M second-rower of the year award.
A return to England and his beloved Wigan followed ahead of the 2021 season but smoke around a potential return to the NRL has turned into fire in recent weeks, with his partner and young son having already relocated to Australia.
Wests Tigers are the side eager for his signature and they’ll need all the help after finishing bottom last year.
As part of their efforts to turn fortunes around, and with money in the bank, Wests also trying to re-sign half-back Mitchell Moses according News Corp’s Dave Riccio, which is a potential sticking point in their move for Bateman.
Moses played for the Tigers for three seasons before switching to Parramatta where he has just helped take them to the Grand Final, prior to captaining Lebanon at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
The Tigers want both players but they’re low on cap space and as a result they are trying to work a deal that sees both players in black and gold next season, with reports suggesting Moses is the reason for Bateman’s delayed transfer.
Now this immediate move for Moses looks off the table opening the door for the Tigers to sign Bateman though the move has still not been confirmed.
The Tigers are still one the sides chasing him for 2024 but according to Bryan Fletcher, Moses definitely seems on the move and believes the favourites aren’t the Tigers but the Bulldogs.
“The thing that I’ve noticed, him not signing with Parramatta seems to me that he’s going, as they’re expecting, I think he’ll go to the Dogs,” Fletcher said on SEN 1170 The Run Home.
“That’s been around for around 12 months, that story, you can see Gus (Gould) getting in there.
“But I like the theory that Moses had said (to the Tigers), well apparently, ‘if Brooks stays, I’ll play six and Brooks will play at seven.’”
This however would see them unable to sign Stephen Crichton to play fullback: “I don’t think they can do that, I don’t think they can sign both,” Fletcher said.
Where this would leave their other fullback target England star Herbie Farnworth remains unclear?
Would they be able to afford him or would Moses signing end any chance for them to sign Farnworth as with Crichton.
