Long-term Warrington Wolves move unlikely for John Bateman

A deal to keep John Bateman at Warrington Wolves longer-term is still a possibility. However, all parties have confirmed that, as of now, the England international will return to Australia at the end of the season as planned.

Bateman has joined Warrington for the remainder of 2024, playing up to 11 games, on loan from NRL side Wests Tigers. He still has two years left on his contract with the Australian club and intends to honor it. However, he acknowledges that his future largely depends on Wests.

“I’ve got a contract there and I’ve got to honor it,” he said. “They’ve given me the opportunity to come over here for now and do what I do, which I appreciate. It’s a big thing. We probably didn’t have much to play for over there, which is likely why they were keen to let me come. I’ve got two years left there – we’ll see what happens from their end. I have a house and family there, so I’ll be going back at the end of the year.”

Bateman’s move to Warrington surprised many in the Super League, with rumors of a fallout with Wests head coach Benji Marshall emerging in the Australian press. Bateman himself admitted the speed of the move was unexpected.

“It all happened within a week,” he said. “Last Monday, Benji pulled me in and told me there was an opportunity to come over and play, and it just went from there. It’s gone pretty fast. Not winning games and our league position were problems that needed sorting, but that’s an internal issue.

“For me, it was more about the opportunity here. I know many of the boys and Sam (Burgess) at Warrington, so it’s about putting my best foot forward and helping to take this club to a Super League title. That’s my goal.”

Long-term Bateman deal ‘not dead in the water’

When asked about the likelihood of Warrington pursuing a long-term move for Bateman, Burgess admitted that the prospect is “probably out of the picture for now.”

However, he emphasized that nothing can be ruled out depending on how Bateman adapts to life at the club in the short term.

“We’ve got to respect the fact he’s got a contract to go back to Wests Tigers, but he’s here for now,” Burgess said. “We’ll treat him as one of our own and make him as welcome as possible.

You never know what could happen, but I’d probably say it’s out of the picture for now. I’ve seen stranger things happen, so it’s not completely dead in the water. Let’s see if he enjoys these next 10 weeks here and what he adds to the team.”

 

<div  id='HB_Footer_Close_hbagency_space_105030'>
 <div id='HB_CLOSE_hbagency_space_105030'></div>
 <div id='HB_OUTER_hbagency_space_105030'>
<div id='hbagency_space_105030'></div>
 </div></div>