The ongoing John Bateman saga has taken a new twist with reports emerging of an NRL club being interested in signing the England forward.
Questions around the future of John Bateman have consumed the off-season and much of the latter part of the 2024 campaign with uncertainty lurking ever since his loan move to Warrington Wolves.
His hefty reported salary of $600,000 per year over the next two seasons has effectively ruled out any Super League side but Wests Tigers have been reported as willing to pay a large chunk to get the Englishman off their books.
Manly Sea Eagles had been floated as an option but they ultimately pulled out and recent reports suggested that South Sydney Rabbitohs could be a contender now that Wayne Bennett is back in charge.
Now, a second report from Down Under has labelled the Bunnies as strong candidates to take on Bateman with Bennett’s connection to the Englishman looking like the key to the puzzle.
John Bateman future clearing up?
Credit: John Clifton/SWpix.com
Per The Daily Telegraph, the Bunnies have emerged as the potential home for John Bateman as they aim to utilise the cap space that was freed up when releasing half-back Lachlan Ilias ahead of his switch to the Dragons.
Both Bateman and fellow forward Matt Lodge are said to be on the radar for Bennett and Souths with the working relationship between Bennett and Bateman from their time at England said to be key.
Wests would be keen to get Bateman off their books despite Benji Marshall’s insistence that there has been no falling out between the pair.
Bateman had previously clashed heads with Wests over his return date with the Englishman’s stance that he would return after Christmas challenged by the club. That then required RLPA intervention with the player’s association ruling in favour of Bateman and confirming his delayed return date.
Wests have spent huge chunks on the salary cap with stars such as Jarome Luai and Terrell May arriving at the club this off-season so freeing themselves of at least some of Bateman’s large $600k per year salary would be preferable.
As it stands, Souths are one of the few NRL sides with cash and with a reported interest.
