Fresh NRL club eye John Bateman move as Manly Sea Eagles make transfer decision

John Bateman has at least one NRL club interested in signing him this off-season but he won’t be joining Manly Sea Eagles. That’s according to The Mole, who claims the club have turned down the chance to take the England international from Wests Tigers.

Bateman isn’t part of Benji Marshall’s plans at Wests after last season’s falling out between the pair, and it is claimed that the club are keen to see Bateman move on. However, despite showing interest earlier in the off-season, Manly have decided against signing the back-rower, with his age said to be a factor.

Wests were willing to pay some of the 31-year-old’s wages, but Manly are keen to put their faith in youth and they’ll progress with their younger, less experienced forward options. Bateman’s agent does have options, though, with an unnamed NRL club reportedly keen to take him from the Tigers and give him a fresh start Down Under.

Bateman has been with Wests since 2023 with the back-rower joining the club after a second stint with Wigan Warriors in Super League. He made 20 appearances in his first campaign with the club with two tries coming along the way and he followed that up with another 12 outings last season.

However, after clashing with head coach Marshall, Bateman was released from his contract for the remainder of the season and allowed to join Warrington Wolves. He made 10 appearances for the Wolves and helped them reach the semi-finals of the Super League play-offs, where they were beaten by Hull KR.

He is expected to return to Sydney next month to start pre-season training with the Tigers, where he still has two years left to run on his contract. Whether he will start the NRL season with Wests remains to be seen, though, with a move potentially on the cards.