Mal Meninga wants Titans to beat Bulldogs to sign John Bateman
On Monday, John Bateman’s move from Canberra to Canterbury looked all but a done deal. But on Tuesday, Raiders legend Mal Meninga said the Englishman would be a perfect fit for the Gold Coast.
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Canberra legend Mal Meninga has set his sights on poaching Raiders star John Bateman as the Gold Coast Titans target a replacement for Jai Arrow.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the Titans have their eyes on Bateman following revelations the English sensation has been granted permission to negotiate with rival clubs by the Raiders.
Bateman's future has become a hot topic on the eve of the NRL season reboot as his contract stalemate with the Raiders gathered momentum.
Bateman, 26, was outstanding in his first NRL season last year, playing 23 games as the Raiders reached the grand final.
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On a contract worth about $600,000-a-season, Bateman is seeking an upgraded deal and could walk out on the Raiders if he strikes a rich payday.
The Titans are on the hunt for a star No.13 following the defection of Queensland Origin forward Arrow to South Sydney from next year.
Bateman would be a prime replacement for Arrow and Meninga confirmed the Titans had sounded him out.
“I asked my recruitment manager (Ezra Howe) to sound John and Isaac Moses (manager) out," Meninga said.
“We would certainly be interested in him. We need a marquee player, to be honest with you.
“John popped into the market recently so he wasn’t under consideration because he was locked up with the Raiders.
“If he’s on the market and available, we will certainly be looking at him. He fits perfectly with (Arrow leaving), absolutely.”
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The Titans lost Arrow after refusing to match the $800,000-a-season offered by the Rabbitohs, who were on the hunt to replace the retired Sam Burgess.
That is the type of money Bateman is seeking to leave the Raiders and the Titans have cash to splash, with 10 off-contract players yet to receive new deals for 2021.
Meninga, the Titans' head of performance and culture, played 166 games for the Raiders and said he was a fan of Bateman’s toughness and tenacity.
“He’s just a damn good player and competitor,” he said.
“He is hard to tackle and tough. He is very resilient. He is skilful, quick and has an evasive ability.
“He is a physically and mentally tough player … all the things you want in a player.”
Originally published as Mal Meninga wants Titans to beat Bulldogs to sign John Bateman