He was one of the top players in the SL and it’s not just my opinion. He was top of his game. Keep in mind he’s 29 now and all players will inevitably start to decline…we would be getting a player on big dollars on the way down rather than at their peak.
Direct from Wigan website.
Between 2014 and 2018, Bateman became a double Super League Grand Final (2016 and 2018) winner and was part of the historic 2017 World Club Challenge winning team that beat Cronulla Sharks.
The second row was named in the 2018 Super League Dream Team and was shortlisted for the 2018 Steve Prescott Man of Steel.
At Wigan’s End of Season Dinner, Bateman was awarded the Players’ Player of the Year and Player of the Year.
The way I’m looking at the Klemmer/Bateman deals is that the club is feeling pressure to get some recruitment wins with recognisable names. I’m ok with that strategy, but we need to be careful we don’t have a repeat of what Cleary did to us.
Although I think Klemmer would be paid overs at $800k, and $650k thereafter, I can deal with that signing as the leader of the pack and having no significant ongoing injuries.
Bateman on the other hand….no one even knows what we would be willing to pay right? Everyone has a fair value…at $400k, sure… I’d take him as a guy with experience and for his attitude within the team. I think his pay would reflect the performance we would get out of him.
At $700k, I’d pass because he won’t perform to that level based on what I’ve seen in SL since he left Canberra and had his shoulder surgery.
I guess we need to know what the dollars and cents are first, but based on what the guy wanted when he left, I’m sure he’ll want roughly what IP is earning.