England and Wigan Warriors star John Bateman eyes move to NRL

[Barney841]

Bateman will struggle with his size in the NRL, that’s why he will be back after a season.
I’d still have him back though as he’s a star player in the super league, as the standard isn’t high. Just look when he plays internationals, he looks ordinary

[fozzieskem]

I know we’ve said about resigning former players isn’t the best thing for the club(me included) but I’d have Bateman back if he decided to come back in a couple of years.
I know he wasn’t the best last season, think he might of been carrying an injury, but the other two seasons before that he was exceptional one the of the best players

With the wages on offer in the NRL the only reason he will be back in two years (if he goes) is because he will have failed, the same as all the rest of them! So I would not touch him with a barge pole if that were the case.

If we stopped making it so bloody easy to go and "suck it and see" in the NRL maybe our players would think a bit harder about going in the first place. We offer an easy way out and while the money on offer is obviously very tempting in a short career this policy does, IMO, make it more likely players will give it a shot. As others have said Bateman's size may count against him but with Wigan so keen to give players a way back he has nothing to lose has he!

This..

To me playing for Wigan is or at least should the highlight of your career,I know it would be for me,but the high ups have,as you say made it so easy to slope off and have a go over there..it has to stop.

[moto748]

But how *do* you stop it? By telling players they won't be welcome back at Wigan after going to the NRL? It has to be on a case-by-case basis, but there's no point in the club cutting off its nose to spite its face.

[DaveO]

But how *do* you stop it? By telling players they won't be welcome back at Wigan after going to the NRL? It has to be on a case-by-case basis, but there's no point in the club cutting off its nose to spite its face.

You can't stop the very best players going and I am not suggesting you can. The very best players will not be back until the very end of their careers if at all. So for me there is no case to be made for any of them. When IL first came up with this they were supposed to come back after seeing their NRL contracts out as better players. Never going to happen. If they make it who is going to take a massive pay cut to come back at the peak of their career? We only get them back if they don't make it.

What I am suggesting is we make it too easy for any player to give it go because if it goes pear shaped we welcome them back.

We even make it easy for the Aussie clubs. They can take a punt on a Wigan player and if it doesn't work out there is a good chance we will take him back off their hands. Why not give Bateman a try despite the fact he looks a bit small? Wigan will have him back if it doesn't work out.

It's also an easy sell for a player's agent to convince a player to go if he can get him a bolt hole back to Wigan. Reduces the risk for the player.

[michael inch stoke]

Every thing about him is wrong for the NRL to small for a forward too slow for a centre, I honestly feel they will batter him to bits and send him home a broken man, wealthy but broken.

Totally agree

[fozzieskem]

Still waiting to see how it's good for our game, the only players that come back are failures or crocks, as DaveO has saied allready, the good ones stay and don't come back till they are old, it hasn't even improved our international game, when was the last time we beat the Aussies good and proper

This and DaveO's comments nail the issue for me..just to add I simply cant think of one player who's returned a better player than when they left in recent memory at least.

[bill.inger]

Did this re-calling ex players from NRL start off with Dennis Betts? Even he didn-t comeback anything like the player he was when he left.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I may have this wrong but didn’t we plan his operation last year so he could play Cronulla (and then not for months)? And haven’t we just the same this year? Are we packing his bags and making sure he has his jabs as well?
Given his assault on his team mate in ‘16 which meant we lost him for a long stretch,
he may well be back for off field issues in any case (broken and on a big contract here).

[Firestarter]

Personally i think he will do well in the nrl...... over there its the work rate they crave in there forwards...... just look at james graham..... he hardly ever breaks a tackle but he will run and tackle all day......john will put his body on the line snd if 100% fit he will be a big success imo