THIS morning, reports have emerged linking Wigan Warriors star John Bateman with an NRL return.
That has come from Australian publication the Daily Telegraph which has reported that Bateman, who is currently with the England team in the Rugby League World Cup, will sign a three-year deal at Concord.
However, with the Wigan man still having two years left on his current Warriors contract, a transfer fee has been necessary to prize him away.
Although that had been previously reported as a sticking point in negotiations between the two clubs, the two clubs – according to the Daily Telegraph – have now struck a deal.
The figure believed to be around $250,000 AUD is paid directly from Wests to Wigan and would not count on the salary cap.
That figure is almost £140,000 in pound sterling which demonstrates just how highly the Tigers think of Bateman and how much they are willing to spend in order to bolster their forward pack for 2023.
Of course, the Tigers finished bottom of the NRL ladder in 2022 and have been in need of new firepower with the likes of Apisai Koroisau and Isaiah Papali’i all joining on the dotted line.
With Bateman in the mix, a back-row of Bateman and Papali’i is enough to inspire any team to improve.
