STUART REACTS TO BATEMAN SPECULATION
He might not want it to happen, but Canberra coach Ricky Stuart appears resigned to the fact that he won’t have John Bateman in his side next year.
Canberra gave the Englishman the time to hit the open market last week after the player’s management had asked for a release.
Bateman, still recovering from injury, has been allowed to talk to other NRL sides as he seeks an $800,000 per year deal.
The Bulldogs are reportedly leading the race for his signature, and Stuart admits that he can’t spend all his time worrying about Bateman.
“It’s a part of the business, it’s a very challenging time at the moment because John is a big part of the family,” said Stuart.
“I have a great relationship with John and we don’t want to lose him.
“There are different scenarios and circumstances around the decision which is very unfortunate but there’s a squad of players I’ve got here to worry about. I can’t take my eye off that and Don [Furner Jnr - Raiders CEO] has already said that he has been giving the opportunity to test the market because he and his manager are after a bigger pay day.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/2100ad8026bcd4aaccb83a19cd37421a