Ellery Hanley's warning to John Bateman ahead of NRL return
Bateman is expected to make the move to Wests Tigers next year.
Ellery Hanley has offered a piece of advice to John Bateman ahead of his impending return to the NRL. Bateman is being heavily linked with a move to Wests Tigers and refused to discuss his future at a press conference last week.
"Hanley played for Balmain Tigers in the mid-Nineties before they later merged with Western Suburbs to form Wests Tigers. The Tigers finished bottom of the NRL table this season, and Hanley said of Bateman’s potential switch there: “There might be family reasons for John wanting to go back and play in Australia.
I believe his girlfriend is Australian, but it will take more than John Bateman to get Wests Tigers out of trouble. As a team, they have been poor for a number of years now and I think John, if he does go there, will need plenty of support. You only have to look at Jackson Hastings there this season – he couldn’t do it on his own there and they really need a big shake-up.
Also, John has been out there before and everyone in Australia knows what he can do – so he will be a marked man. He was very good for Canberra Raiders, but how successful he will be at Wests Tigers really depends on who he is surrounded by.”
Hanley is a big fan of Bateman, saying: “Before John went to Canberra, I thought he was outstanding. At Canberra, he was excellent as well but, when he came back to Wigan, he will have an honest assessment about himself.
His form probably wasn’t as good as what it was before he went to Australia. Crucially, however, I still think the best is yet to come from John – as long as he’s surrounded by the right personnel.”
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Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan