‘I think those people have never done a pre-season’: John Bateman hits back at claims he was injured

Tigers fans finally got to see John Bateman in action, and the marquee signing didn’t disappoint as he shot down a big rumour.

John Bateman insists he’s not injured. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

John Bateman has shot down suggestions he missed the first two rounds of the season because of injury and says he’s still trying to learn how the Tigers play after he made a promising return to the NRL on Sunday afternoon.

The Englishman couldn’t have picked a hotter day to come back, with the temperature hovering in the low 30s for much of the afternoon as the Bulldogs survived a late scare to beat the Tigers by four points.

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John Bateman had a solid club debut and almost scored a dazzling try thanks to some crafty football skills. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Bateman whacked Matt Burton with a brutal shot in the second half and looked dangerous when he had the ball, narrowly missing out on a try when he kicked twice but dropped the ball over the line.

It was an encouraging start to his Tigers career after only arriving in Australia a few weeks ago as one of the club’s marquee signings.

Fans were disappointed that he didn’t play in the opening rounds, while some sections of the media suggested he may have been carrying an injury, but Bateman says he’s fine and that he actually returned a week earlier than planned, with the round 4 clash against the Storm the original target for his club debut.

“I felt good,” he said after the game.

“I literally got over three weeks ago, so I’ve just tried to acclimatise and get to know the boys and the plays. It’s still a little bit scratchy out there for myself.

“I probably don’t know half of the plays and how the boys play, so I’m just getting used to it and acclimatising.”

Bateman arrived in Sydney last month and says he’s still trying to get used to his teammates and the game plan. Picture; Wests Tigers

Bateman set the record straight when asked if he missed the start of the season because of an ankle injury, telling reporters that it would have been too hard to slot into the team without knowing any of the set plays.

“Quite a lot of people have been saying ‘he’s injured blah, blah, blah’, but I think those people have never done a pre-season,” he said.

“A three-week pre-season isn’t good for anyone. If I’d have played the first week and got injured, then everyone would have been saying ‘why did you play so early?’ To be fair, it’s a long season, so it’s about going out there and playing your best.

“It’s pretty hard. Different people play differently. I play a lot differently to people, so it’s about understanding people. That’s the hard thing.

“We’re building combinations and I probably had my first proper week this week at training where I was actually doing things without being flogged.”

Tigers coach Tim Sheens was pleased with Bateman’s performance on Sunday afternoon, with the Englishman returning a week ahead of schedule after fellow back-rower Isaiah Papali’i was ruled out due to suspension.

Sheens will need those two to do some heavy lifting as the Tigers look to bounce back from an 0-3 start that has them destined to miss out on finals yet again.

Bateman was one of the most dominant back-rowers during his first two years in the NRL, but his time in Canberra ended prematurely because he wanted to be back home with his family. Picture; Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

For Bateman, this is a second chance to shine in the NRL.

His first stint was cut short after two years because he wanted to be back home with his family during Covid, and he feels like he’s got unfinished business having just missed out on a title with the Raiders.

“I wouldn’t say I got homesick because I don’t class it as home,” he said.

“I didn’t really watch it (the NRL) because I made the decision to leave because I didn’t see my family for 12 months. It was my decision to go back home to see my family because like anyone at the time, no one knew what was going on in the world.

“My family weren’t allowed to come back to Australia, so I had to make a decision.

“The opportunity for the Wests Tigers to bring me out here (motivated me) and I feel like I play my best rugby out here because the game probably suits me a little bit more.

“I just wanted to come back with the Wests Tigers because I liked what Sheensy was talking about with what he wanted to build. When you get here you realise how big the club is, and we need to go places.

“Sheensy and the backroom staff and what they do for the club, that’s what we want to do. We need to go places and we need to build on that.

“I wouldn’t say there’s pressure. Pressure comes with anything, but to me, it’s about enjoyment.”