WESTS Tigers are ‘quietly confident’ of landing Wigan Warriors star John Bateman.
That’s according to News Corp’s David Riccio who told Triple M Radio that the club has salary cap space for Bateman and a ready to splash $250,000 to pay Wigan for the England international’s services.
Bateman has become one of the first names on the teamsheet for Wigan and England in recent years, but he also has experience in the NRL having spent 2019 and most of 2020 with the Canberra Raiders.
Now he has been heavily linked with a move to Wests who recently shipped out Jackson Hastings with David Klemmer coming in from Newcastle Knights.
“I don’t think they are finished, I know they have got salary cap space left to go and that ultimately points towards John Bateman,” Riccio said on Triple M.
“It is getting closer, talking to Tigers officials yesterday they are quietly confident, they don’t want to talk publicly about how the negotiations are going.
“I expect the transfer free from the Tigers to Wigan, which sits outside the salary cap, to be around $250,000 to be paid by the Tigers.
“Ultimately it is up to Bateman now and whether he wants to come back to Australia, I believe all indications are that he does.”
