ST HELENS star Joe Batchelor has addressed the rumour which circulated from an NRL publication last week, claiming that the 28-year-old was being hunted for a move Down Under.
The Wide World of Sports claimed that: “Batchelor has employed an Australian agent and is keen to give the NRL a go in 2024 and beyond.”
Those rumours were quickly squashed and now the former York man reveals he has no intention of moving.
“I was incredibly surprised at the news, I was sat at home having signed a new three-year deal and re-signed with my agent in England so I definitely didn’t sign with an agent in Australia,” Batchelor said.
“I had just had a baby as well so it came out the blue and shocked my family as well. There is no truth in it as far as I am concerned.”
The second-rower began his career with Midlands Hurricanes – formerly the Coventry Bears – debuting in 2016 before making the move to the then-named York City Knights.
There, he made 48 appearances in two seasons before being snapped up by Saints ahead of the 2019 Super League season.
Spending spells on loan at York and then Leigh, Batchelor finally poked his nose through into the St Helens’ first-team in 2021 following the departure of Zeb Taia and Dominique Peyroux.
The rest, as they say, is history with the 28-year-old becoming one of Saints’ most consistent and improved players in recent seasons, so much so that he earned an England call-up from Shaun Wane for the World Cup.
Read the full interview with Joe Batchelor in this week’s League Express.
