Wests Tigers players sanctioned over fitness levels named and shamed

The Wests Tigers players who failed fitness tests on day one of pre-season have been named amid John Bateman’s contract issues.

The Wests Tigers are playing hardball with disgruntled star John Bateman, while the five players who failed fitness tests on day one of pre-season have been named.

Bateman and coach Benji Marshall had a falling out earlier this year over perceived unfair treatment and the Englishman was released to Warrington in July on a loan deal.

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The backrower still has two years to run on his Tigers’ contract worth a reported $650,000 per season and is currently still in England.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Tigers contacted the Rugby League Players’ Association about Bateman’s leave entitlements and to find out exactly when he is due back at training.

The RLPA crosschecked the collective bargaining agreement pertaining to loan deals and assessed that Bateman is required to show up to work on December 21.

The Wests Tigers are playing hardball with disgruntled star John Bateman.

That is the final day of pre-season before the two-week Christmas break and the Tigers played contract hardball by insisting the 31-year-old fly back from England and show up for one day of training.

But Bateman’s manager, Isaac Moses, was able to change the RLPA’s return date by providing evidence that the footballer made corporate appearances in the week after the Wolves’ final game, which in effect extended his annual leave.

Marshall wants Bateman gone but the 2019 Dally M second-rower of the year isn’t going to just walk away from $1.3 million.

However, the Sea Eagles may provide a solution for both parties as they are reportedly interested in adding Bateman to their pack.

The Tigers would need to contribute to Bateman’s salary in 2025 but all signs suggest they will as Marshall desperately tries to fix the club’s cultural problems.

Those problems were on full display on the opening day of pre-season when five players failed to meet fitness benchmarks after two months on holidays.

Three were issued breach notices and they’ve now been revealed as Latu Fainu, Solomona Faataape and Solomone Saukuru, who will all face the board next month.

The breaches were around weight, skin folds and falling well short of their expected times in a 1.6km run.

Another two players failed to meet fitness standards to a lesser extent, which surprisingly included 19-year-old fullback Heath Mason, and also Brandon Tumeth, but the duo just received warnings.

The sanctions show Marshall isn’t tolerating underperformers, even in November, and the stern approach is already having the desired effect.

Sharks recruit Royce Hunt decided to front up to pre-season training three weeks early in the wake of the five players getting called out.

Originally published as Wests Tigers players sanctioned over fitness levels named and shamed