Former Wigan Warriors star John Bateman has been the victim of a truly bizarre burglary.
The England international left Wigan for the second time in five years at the end of 2022 again to test himself in the NRL.
Bateman initially left Wigan at the end of 2018 to sign for Canberra Raiders where he would win the Dally M second-rower of the year award and guide the Raiders to the Grand Final.
However, in 2021 he returned to Wigan for a two year stint which yielded the Challenge Cup in 2022 prior to move to Wests Tigers.
Shockingly though, whilst down under Bateman has seen his garden in the UK ransacked.
“If anyone in the Bolton or surrounding areas has been offered, or knows of anyone offering Yorkshire stone to buy, get in touch with me,” Bateman posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
“(I’ve) had my garden stripped of it and want to find the scruffy t***s!!!”
Bateman has received some responses from locals but not a lot to go at unfortunately for the former Wigan star.
“I’m landscaping in Bolton (heaton area) I’ll keep my eyes and ears open. Can’t have anything these says unless it’s bolted down,” one user posted.
While another added: “Imagine getting home and someone’s lifted your patio.”
Bateman has been one of the settled Wests Tigers players in a whirlwind of change at the club with new directors and new signings coming.
There is also a new coach at the club. A relationship built 11 years ago playing rep footy with Benji Marshall, has led former North Queensland Cowboys hooker Aaron Payne to the club.
The pair were hooker and five-eighth for the NRL All Stars in 2012 winning 36-28 against the Indigenous All Stars at Cbus Stadium on the Gold Coast.
That’s how a Brisbane-born footballer who played all his NRL career with the Cowboys ended up coaching in Sydney.
“I guess limited opportunities in the (coaching) industry in Townsville,” Payne told nswrl.com.au
When he retired from playing at the end of the 2012 season, he went into the Cowboys’ pathways before coaching four years with the Townsville Blackhawks in Queensland’s Hostplus Cup.
The Blackhawks are now a feeder team for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“My contract was up with the Blackhawks and they didn’t renew it so I looked around for something else,” Payne said.
“Benji called me and I’ve always been in my comfort zone so this was too good an opportunity to pass up in pushing myself a little more.
“Me and Benj didn’t know each other well until we played with the NRL All Stars. We’d played against each other quite a bit and had a lot of respect for one another.
“But in the All Stars along with players like Gal (Paul Gallen) and Cooper (Cronk), Benj and me, we older guys gravitated towards each other and got along very well. That built a nice connection which has lasted through the years. Certainly Benji is a very genuine person and it’s great to have that input with him again.”
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