Batemans's departure confirmed

[lucky 13]

French, Field are good signings because of how it's worked out. French was brilliant from the Start, his first full year, though we didn't get to see it, was class.
His second didn't last long which mirrored Fields first. Both could have gone at that point. Luckily I think Rads and Matty Peet played a massive part in them staying not Lam. I also think Fields attitude and Matty seeing it played a huge part in how this all turned out.
I also think, though some will no doubt disagree that Singleton was also a good signing solid most weeks and seems a decent guy you don't get his CV without having something about you. Cust was decent first year and we missed him late on last year. Whatever Rads did last year it went some way towards closing the gap on Saints his faith in Matty Peet and Wane returning are big parts of this and a better connection between club and fans can't be ignored. This season more work needs to be done. We will have cap space but the planning is needed and a lots in the air.
On a positive we should now have a pretty settled spine Field, Cust, Smith and French are a big part of that. I hope we can sort Smithies out because along with Byrne Havard and Faz we have solid foundations. Marshy is as good as most out wide and we now have a couple of centres? If King recaptures form that made him one of the hottest prospects two years ago that will be great. Wardle is probably the best natural British centre potentially but until we see how they go questions remain. Cooper played well at points for England so I'm sure he will be solid. Questions over Ellis who needs to just push on his stats are good but he definitely has more. Mago if only he could get motivated and really fit he's well capable of all the things you would want from an impact prop. Miski was for me unlucky to not get a longer run in the team but he's also behind two of the best in SL so understandable.
O'niel looks capable of stepping up at 9 and Smith can now push to be the best British 7. If most of these come off then we are in good shape but plenty questions to be answered.

[DaveO]

Love it when I see complete rubbish like this spouted.

KR is rubbish apart from Field and French but because they don't meet the narrative I will attribute them to someone else...

Ok so address the centre issue then. Or just conveniently ignore it.

Ah DaveO returns as soon as the KR bashing starts, we had centres just because it didn't work out as planned and you didnt like the centre brought in doesn't mean nothing was done about it.

People where crying out for props we have done alot in that area. Some haven't worked out (Burgess) but the club brought in supposedly high quality players.

The rhetoric is always the same for recruitment criticism.

IL and KR are bad any successful signing are down to someone else or Dumb luck.

The centre recruitment didn’t work out as planned? What does that mean! Everyone including you knows the centre issue dragged on for years and the Thornley signing was poor. Yet you do as you accuse others of and jump on the original poster over one aspect of their post and ignore the main point.

What would you have said if they hadn’t made the comment about Field and French?

My guess is probably nothing because you couldn’t argue against it.

People have welcomed various signings but there really is no excuse to have pop when people point out obvious failings.

The Bateman saga is another example. He was told the matter was closed in July then the club acted as if it wasn’t. Sat on its hands over the internationals instead of looking for a replacement when it was blindingly obvious to the club he wanted out and as usual they would let him go leaving us with the prospect of Isa as a first choice back row forward (who if the clubs was as shit hot at squad management as you seem to think should be gone anyway). When it makes a balls up the club really knows how to do it.

[EagleEyePie]

Bringing Bateman back was always one of those decisions that made perfect sense in isolation but became much more dubious when you consider our past record with bringing back former players.

He's one of the best back row forwards in the world at his best, but his situation has parallels with Sam Tomkins. Bateman had achieved plenty with Wigan before leaving for the NRL so what did he need to achieve when he came back? It's hard for players who have been successful to return and live up to those same expectations. Tomkins was never going to be the player he once was at Wigan and it's clear that he needed a different environment in which to thrive. He's done that at Catalans. Both Tomkins and Bateman also had the marquee tag and the marquee salary to contend with. I think that just adds to the pressure and increases the chances of not living up to the billing. Even someone without the same level of talent, Lee Mossop, returned to Wigan and struggled but got a new lease of life at Salford.

I'm pretty sure Bateman will be a success at Wests but there's no point watching his performances next year and wondering what we're missing. We won't be missing Bateman at his best because his best just wasn't going to happen.

I don't think he was terrible for us. He was still among the best back row forwards in the competition. There weren't many that could match him for metres and tackles made but we all know there's more to him than that but he wasn't delivering. He had a few bad games, which rarely happened in his first spell with us. He used to be the player that would stand out for the effort he put in even if the rest of the team (particularly established players) weren't performing. But this year it was Smithies who fit that description. In 2021 it was Shorrocks. He's getting out-enthused by the youngsters since he return which was surely a sign that he didn't have the same desire for it that he did previously.

I think the club have messed up though if the press release is to be taken at face value. They allowed things to drag out until we reach a time when it's so late in the year that a replacement can't be found. I don't see how you can play tough and say no in the summer when there's plenty of time to look for a replacement and then soften in the winter when it's least convenient. The other way of looking at it is potentially there was never any desire to find a replacement and the statement is just to placate fans because they know a replacement would be expected.

We've just got to look at the positives though. Every club could do with extra cash over the next few years so the transfer fee is beneficial. Bateman wasn't justifying his marquee contract and it's unlikely that he ever would, so having those wages off the books isn't bad. We're losing a very good player but we also have some cover in the back row for this year.

The bigger issue is the end of next year. Farrell isn't getting any younger (well, I say that but I wouldn't put it past him), Pearce-Paul is leaving and Isa (who should only be our back up option next year) should leave too. We're suddenly short on numbers after 2023 in a position we used to have a lot of strength. There's a lot of hope with Nsemba but you can't expect a teenager to be a first choice forward within a couple of years of their debut. Things don't work like that. We need to really be on the look out for a quality back row forward with plenty of years ahead of them. It's a shame that we lost Nicholson and Rushton in recent years and if both of those show good form it will be frustrating.

For this year, KPP probably gets first crack at replacing Bateman. Hopefully he can start fulfilling his potential for a year. There's also Smithies. Lots of people say he shouldn't move from 13 but personally I think all that matters is what's best for the team. He's had some outstanding games at second row and he plays the game the same way no matter which back row position he's in. He's definitely worth considering in that role if we end up with a lot of forwards in good form (Havard, Ellis and Shorrocks are all options at 13).

We should be okay next year but I'd be more confident if there was another player coming in following Bateman's departure.

[widdenoldboy]

French, Field are good signings because of how it's worked out. French was brilliant from the Start, his first full year, though we didn't get to see it, was class.
His second didn't last long which mirrored Fields first. Both could have gone at that point. Luckily I think Rads and Matty Peet played a massive part in them staying not Lam. I also think Fields attitude and Matty seeing it played a huge part in how this all turned out.
I also think, though some will no doubt disagree that Singleton was also a good signing solid most weeks and seems a decent guy you don't get his CV without having something about you. Cust was decent first year and we missed him late on last year. Whatever Rads did last year it went some way towards closing the gap on Saints his faith in Matty Peet and Wane returning are big parts of this and a better connection between club and fans can't be ignored. This season more work needs to be done. We will have cap space but the planning is needed and a lots in the air.
On a positive we should now have a pretty settled spine Field, Cust, Smith and French are a big part of that. I hope we can sort Smithies out because along with Byrne Havard and Faz we have solid foundations. Marshy is as good as most out wide and we now have a couple of centres? If King recaptures form that made him one of the hottest prospects two years ago that will be great. Wardle is probably the best natural British centre potentially but until we see how they go questions remain. Cooper played well at points for England so I'm sure he will be solid. Questions over Ellis who needs to just push on his stats are good but he definitely has more. Mago if only he could get motivated and really fit he's well capable of all the things you would want from an impact prop. Miski was for me unlucky to not get a longer run in the team but he's also behind two of the best in SL so understandable.
O'niel looks capable of stepping up at 9 and Smith can now push to be the best British 7. If most of these come off then we are in good shape but plenty questions to be answered.

+1

We will be OK at prop, we could do with a real class prop I'll grant you but what team wouldn't?
We should be getting more from Cooper, Ellis and Mago as they settle in, Byrne and Havard kicking on with at least one Academy prop filling in well.
We are very thin in the 2nd row, especially at the start of the season with Faz out and Nsemba further from being ready than he will be at seasons end.
I thought O'Keefe had a chance but he is a bit small and has moved on anyway, the path for another Reserve 2nd row is now clear.

[Dreamteam]

We should start Matty Nicholson now bateman is gone. Lots of potential looks SL ready. Let’s tie him down to a contract so nobody else snaps him up

[medlocke]

We should start Matty Nicholson now bateman is gone. Lots of potential looks SL ready. Let’s tie him down to a contract so nobody else snaps him up

[fozzieskem]

I do hope that wigans obsession with bringing back former players ends with this fiasco and it has been a fiasco he never looked the same player when he returned and let’s be fair he was having contract issues when they revealed he’d returned wasn’t he?played Wigan like a cheap fiddle and that annoys me I really don’t like to see the club being used like this.

[Wigan_forever1985]

not quite sure why there is so much hate against Bateman on here - there is some insinuation that he's been turning in half cocked performances on purpose, which is not true, he hasn't been at his best and there is no guarantee he will perform back at a top level for wests but even if he does Wigan would at leasst be half to blame

same as sam tomkins they signed a player who was coming back from a big big injury and made them the highest paid player. I dont think this works for club or player

Wigan are constantly the butt of negotiations especially when it involves past players and its frustrating as a lot of people will use that as reason why "steady eddy" wigan till they die players are better. We need to accept the days of players sticking round for years are over, esp with the salary cap differences ion the NRL so only they players tied to the UK or not good enough for the NRL will be in superleague moving forward

This means we will see more "club tourists" like hastings for example who will come here to make a name to land a deal. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as they provide value while they are here and help win trophies.

I personally dont have any issues with Bateman going - i think the club are just not ruthless enough

[Dreamteam]

We should start Matty Nicholson now bateman is gone. Lots of potential looks SL ready. Let’s tie him down to a contract so nobody else snaps him up

Matt whitley ?

[Charriots Offiah]

I do get the feeling he didn’t want to come back to be honest but there where no takers in the NRL at that time somwigan became a stop gap,I agree Josie he’s not looked the same player that left and sadly it leave a bit of a sour taste in the mouth lessened only by the fact the club got a decent fee for him it seems.

As for his new club..well they ain’t going to be contenders anytime soon.

That’s what I think & hope for now, but that won’t bother Bateman he’s on a good wedge for 4 years & that’s the most important thing to him!

He used the Covid excuse to come back to England cos no NRL club would sign him at that time & used Wigan to get back there!

He was still under contract at Canberra when he returned to Wigan.