John Bateman to quit Raiders at end of year to pursue better deal
English backrower John Bateman has informed Canberra officials this year will be his last as he weighs up whether to continue his career in the NRL with rivals Canterbury or returns home to Wigan.
The Raiders granted Bateman permission to test his value on the market for 2021, despite still having one final year in his contract worth $600,000.
John Batmean will farewell Canberra at the end of the year. Credit:Getty Images
Bateman burst onto the NRL scene last year and was named 2019 Dally M back-rower of the year as he became a vital memeber of the Raiders team that qualified for the club's first grand final in 25 years.
The Herald understands Bateman's management requested more time to negotiate with rival clubs, despite being granted permission several months ago.
Canberra made it known they needed an answer either way so they could prepare for life with or without the hard-running backrower.
The Bulldogs have been heavily linked to Bateman with reports suggesting the Belmore club are prepared to outlay as much as $800,000 a year for him to join fellow Brit Luke Thompson.
But Bateman has made it clear he misses family and his daughter Millie, and a move home to accept a $2m deal with former club Wigan is looking the most likely option.
John Bateman tries to shrug off Luke Keary during last year's grand final.Credit:AAP
Bateman is expected to be sidelined another couple of months yet because of a second round of shoulder surgery.
The Green Machine are also in negotiations with winger Nick Cotric who has stalled on a whopping five-year deal worth around $2.5m to consider an even bigger contract from Canterbury.
Cotric is keen to play centre, a positional shift that can be accommodated at Belmore, but the Raiders are happy for their local junior to remain on the wing.
Bateman, 26, was excellent on the right edge last year and played a huge role in helping the Raiders all the way to the grand final.
He told the Herald back in May he was not being greedy for wanting to secure a better deal elsewhere, especially with his daughter's future in mind.
"When I’m 45 and struggling to stand up, or trying to put my daughter through university, no one is going to ring me and say 'you know that extra few hundred grand you were hoping to get? We’ve got it for you now'. She's my girl. That's who I wake up every day for. That's the reason I go to work, to give her the best life possible," Bateman said.
As Bateman informed his teammates of the news to finish up, Thompson was reporting for his first day of training at Belmore.