Bateman should be our marquee player!

[moto748]

I said on another thread that he is the only Wigan player that looks consistently NRL class week in, week out. We really need to hang on to him.

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

How did he not make the dream team?

[Kittwazzer]

How did he not make the dream team?

Because we didn't win the CCF or LLS.

[DaveO]

How did he not make the dream team?

Because we didn't win the CCF or LLS.

Nah, it was because he was suspended by the club. Got to be.

I'd go further and say had he not been he'd be up for MoS.

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

How did he not make the dream team?

Because we didn't win the CCF or LLS.

I hadn't realised that we used that criteria for selection, naively I thought it was based on performance week in week out!

[turf]

Didn't he have treatment/stitches in/to side of his head at one point tonight Bateman

Think it was after that sickening head clash in 52nd/53rd minute and he just bounced straight back up

Didn't even go off for 'head test'

[Billgreenwoodsson]

I do recall commenting on here in June that he has potential to be another Hanley but was immediately mocked for saying such a thing. Only time will tell but how ever long JB's contract, WRLFC should be looking at extending it.

[fozzieskem]

Is till don't see Bateman as a finished article by any means but my god when he is done he will be special,very special.

If he stays at Wigan long term,and the NRL will come sniffing ( if they aren't already),if the club can keep hold do not,under any circumstances make him captain let Bateman be Bateman.

He is the Paul Gascogne of super league,mercurial and in the process of being very special don't bog him down weight he simply doesn't need.

[Exiled Wiganer]

Or Gelling.
Or Williams.
Or Sam if he gets over his broken foot (and good to hear that he might be running in 6 weeks).
He's good but there are plenty other contributors.

Good? You really can't see he is a class apart from these (Sam of 2016 as opposed to earlier vintage)?

But he's demonstrably not - you can just look at 1) how the team did without him which was very well indeed thus proving he is not that intrinsic to our success and 2) how can it be ignored that his thuggery lead to the club's reputation being damaged and his own missing a massive chunk of the season? As with Flower there is an astonishing tendency not to place personal responsibility on players for their own actions. Which is in stark contrast to the effect of injuries which are used as a stick to beat certain players.
Don't get me wrong I would be happy if he were to play for us forever. He just isn't the most important player in the team and needs very careful integration and control.

[cpwigan]

You were obvious where when it happened

Bateman should be our next captain!