Bateman happy in Australia

Canberra Raiders forward John Bateman admits he loves life in the NRL, putting doubt on a potential return to Super League. The former Wigan Warriors man agreed a three-year deal with the NRL outfit ahead of the 2019 season, after spending four years with Wigan. He has scored five tries in 22 appearances for the club as they reached the Grand Final following a fourth-place finish in the regular season. They were beaten 14-8 by Sydney Roosters in the showpiece match, with Bateman playing in the second row. Initially, he struggled to adapt to life in Australia and was linked with a swift return to Wigan for the 2020 season. However, he has poured cold water on those rumours and says his focus is fully on Canberra. The Great Britain international said: “When I first got to Canberra I thought I wanted to go home, but as I’ve settled I’ve really got to know the place over the last three or four months. “I originally just wanted to come here and see my two or three years out, but I’m enjoying life over here, and I call Canberra home now. “I miss my family, of course I do, but they have the chance to come out here and see me quite often. Maybe one day I’ll come back to Super League, but genuinely if I played out the rest of my career here, I think I would be happy to do so.”