EXCLUSIVE: Billy Slater was wowed by Bevan French in Vegas, but a contractual hurdle is facing NRL suitors

[josie andrews]

Melbourne Storm legend Billy Slater has declared Wigan Warriors five-eighth Bevan French is a "wonderful player" who would be "of value" to an NRL club that may want to lure him home.

The only problem is the fleet-footed playmaker is contracted to his Super League club until the end of 2028, which Slater hinted at by adding that the 29-year-old is "pretty settled" in England.

Chatter is again bubbling about the prospect of French reigniting his NRL career after the former Parramatta Eel produced a scintillating man-of-the-match game against Sam Burgess' Warrington Wolves in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEDT).

The 29-year-old crossed for a try, set up a four-pointer, made three line breaks and racked up 209 run metres as Wigan trumped Warrington 48-24 at Allegiant Stadium.

"He played for Parramatta, then went over to Wigan in the Super League, and he has not looked back," Slater said on Wide World of Sports' The Billy Slater Podcast.

"He's not the first player that has just been hovering around the NRL before going over to the Super League and really succeeding.

"It is played a little different over there; it's more of an attack mindset and it probably doesn't have the quality of teams across the whole comp.

"But he's a wonderful player, and not just yesterday. The last couple of World Club Challenges he's really shone, as well, against the Penrith Panthers."

French was awarded man of the match after the Warriors edged the Panthers 16-12 in Wigan in the World Club Challenge 12 months ago.

In 2023, he won Man of Steel, the Super League's equivalent to the NRL's Dally M Medal, to join an honour roll that includes former NRL stars such as Jamie Lyon, Brett Hodgson, Ben Barba and James Graham.

In 2022, he scored a season-high 31 tries from 24 Super League games.

He featured in 47 NRL matches for the Eels across the 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons, either as a winger or fullback, before establishing himself as a gun playmaker in the Super League.

"There's no doubt that he would be of value to NRL clubs if they wanted to pick him up," Slater added.

"But I think he's pretty happy over there, I think he's pretty settled at the Wigan Warriors.

"... He's a real entertainer and that's what he did [in Las Vegas]."

French, who hails from the small town of Tingha in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, is a cousin of 2001 Dally M Medal winner Preston Campbell and a nephew of former NRL try-scoring machine Nathan Blacklock.

https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news- ... 5lgne.html

[josie andrews]

Bet Brad Arthur is kicking himself for getting shut of Bevan

[manchesterwarrior]

Credit to Wigan for how they treated in when his mum was ill, that is why he's settled in wigan

[thegimble]

Hope this does not bite me

If French was leaving he would not have signed that extension. Most very good NRL sides are settled in the Half's it's only lower level teams who would be in for him.

I would imagine they would not have him as marquee so that puts us in an advantage money wise

[josie andrews]

He is very settled here, he has bought a house with his English girlfriend.

He went back to Australia in the off season as he had several weddings to attend. He told me he was still drunk from the after party at the first wedding in Bali & doesn’t remember it

He has sold his cattle in Oz too!

[Wiganer Ted]

That's very interesting and informative about Bevan.
Thanks Josie.

[Wintergreen]

I honestly believe that his game is more suited to SL than the NRL.

[josie andrews]

I honestly believe that his game is more suited to SL than the NRL.

Me too as is Jai’s

[The Pearl1]

The player we need to worry about going to the NRL is Harry Smith.

[PoppaG]

The player we need to worry about going to the NRL is Harry Smith.

This. While I like to think of him as a home bird and happy here, he suits the game over there and would slot straight into at least half the squads over there. He can only have so many top notch games in big matches before people start sniffing round, if they haven't already