RLPA CALLED TO STEP-IN
Bateman played 10 games for Warrington through last season, his time ending in a sem-final loss to Hull KR six weeks ago.
Once his commitment with Warrington was over, Bateman stayed in England to play in two Test matches against Samoa.
Burgess wanted to keep Bateman at Warrington, but the experienced second-rower was intent on returning to the NRL, particularly due to his wife being Australian and who also boasts a high-flying job.
“I’ll be spending my time with my family but after Christmas I’ll be back there,” Bateman told NRL.com from England last month.
That wasn’t the end of the drama. The Tigers initially told Bateman he was due back at training before Christmas, on December 21.
Bateman had other ideas - he was of the belief he should be off until December 28, which would have been when the Tigers were on their Christmas break, meaning he wouldn’t return to training until the new year.
The RLPA was forced to intervene after the latest spat between the England international and the Wests Tigers. Picture: Getty Images
It is understood Bateman provided a letter from Warrington supporting his claim that he should be given extra time off.
The parties were once again at loggerheads, leading to the intervention of the Rugby League Players Association to resolve another stalemate between the club and one of their highest-paid players.
With the paperwork in front of them, the RLPA sided with Bateman, delaying his return to a club where he is not necessarily welcome.
NO APOLOGIES
Richardson and the Tigers are making no apologies for cleaning house.
The club has been in a decade-long firestorm that has frustrated fans and resulted in an extreme turnover of leadership, structures, coaches, players and staff.
“Players have to live up to what the standards are of a team that’s going to be successful,” Richardson said.
“There’s no stone unturned about the discipline the club requires to be successful. I’ve got to say overall, I’ve had no major pushback on that.”
What can also be revealed is that Bateman won’t be the only departure.
The club is locked in a legal battle with young prop Jordan Miller after sacking him over disciplinary issues.
Other changes are afoot, the most significant the expected departure of half Jayden Sullivan, who was offered for virtually nothing to return to his former club the Dragons.
The Tigers are expected to part ways with half Jayden Sullivan. Picture: NRL Photos
Saints weren’t interested. The concern with Sullivan isn’t related to discipline or team harmony. Officials at the club like Sullivan and have no concerns with his work ethic or personality.
The issue is that the club is overloaded in the halves and Sullivan is on a fat contract that means their salary cap and squad are out of sync.
There is also a focus on bringing in the right senior figures to lead the way. The hope is that Penrith premiership winner Jarome Luai can be their talisman in that regard.
“People say to me all the time, how do you get clubs out of the mire,” Richardson said.
“It’s three things - people, people and people. You’ve got to have the right people in place and the right players in place to be able to change the culture the way you want to be and the right disciplines in place.
“It’s not unusual. It’s actually what every decent club does. The good clubs - the senior players lead by example. It’s as simple as that.”
CULTURE CLUB
Richardson is coming up to his one-year anniversary in the job and makes it very clear there will be no cutting corners when it comes to the culture at the club.
The Tigers have won three wooden spoons in succession. They have gone a decade without playing finals football and the club has made a series of poor recruitment calls that have left them in a hole.
The hope is that the emergence of young players like Lachlan Galvin and the arrival of Luai will address some of the issues.
Bateman isn’t alone in the belief that Marshall has handed too much power, too soon, to the club’s most talented rookies led by Galvin - a storyline that will develop as the 2025 season unfolds.
Until then, discipline has become a focus of the offseason and no doubt played a part in the decision to distance themselves from Bateman.
Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson is coming up on his one-year anniversary in the top job and has made it clear there is no room for cutting corners. Picture: David Swift
Richardson has made it eminently clear that Marshall has his unmitigated support. It’s Benji’s way or the highway.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is John Bateman or anybody else in the club, we have to create discipline and a support mechanism behind the head coach,” Richardson said.
“And I support that 100 percent. So the players have got to understand that Benji’s way is the way. It’s as simple as that.
“And if they want to play first grade at the club, they have to understand it is under what Benji’s rules are. It’s got nothing to do with between young players and older players.
“You’re paying the older players more money and they should be well aware of what their responsibilities are now.
“We have won three straight wooden spoons. We are just not not going to accept anything that is not absolutely of the higher standards for culture and for training and everything else.
“So it’s not just about John Bateman, it’s about everybody.”
