Fresh John Bateman twist as new clubs launch play for England international

John Bateman’s NRL future remains a topic of hot debate – with two new clubs set to enter the race to sign the England international for 2025.

Bateman is set for a dramatic exit from Wests Tigers in the off-season, due to an ongoing with head coach Benji Marshall which shows no sign of healing. The Tigers are determined to cut the forward, and reports had suggested that Manly Sea Eagles were weighing up a move for Bateman.

But that now looks to have collapsed, with Manly unwilling to move two players on in order to facilitate the cap space to bring Bateman to the club.

But two new unnamed NRL teams have made a move for the forward – with Wests reportedly open to chipping in around $300,000 of his $650,000 salary to secure his exit from the club.

It is becoming widely accepted that Bateman will not be at Wests no matter what in 2025, despite no public comment from either party that they are willing to sever their relationship.

Bateman made a mid-season move to Warrington Wolves after being left on the fringes at Wests, but he had stressed he would return to the NRL club in 2025 and fight for his spot in the team under Marshall.

But with no sign of a repairing of the relationship between Bateman and Marshall, it looks increasingly likely his future will be away from the Tigers in 2025.

His agent, Isaac Moses, has been offering the player to rival NRL clubs – but Bateman is adamant he will not return to Super League in 2025 as things stand, and is determined to remain in the NRL.

And any notion of a move could pin on the seriousness of the interest from the two new clubs who have reportedly come to the table and expressed interest in a move in the England international.

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