John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

John Bateman wants to bring Wigan Warriors' winning ways to Canberra Raiders

He's won two Super League titles with Wigan, now John Bateman wants to bring those winning ways to the Canberra Raiders.

"It's been a successful time when I was at Wigan. I want to bring a bit of that over here. I want to get a starting spot and go from there. I'd probably say my preferred position is in the pack, in the back row, loose forward. I enjoy being in the middle and in the mix of it so that's probably what I want to go ahead with this year."

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/ ... 50qm1.html

VIDEO: John Bateman - It's a new challenge: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2019/01 ... challenge/
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by FROG »

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pumped to see him in lime green. Lets hope he can help develop a winning culture at the raiders.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by simo »

greeneyed wrote: January 10, 2019, 5:07 pm John Bateman wants to bring Wigan Warriors' winning ways to Canberra Raiders

He's won two Super League titles with Wigan, now John Bateman wants to bring those winning ways to the Canberra Raiders.

"It's been a successful time when I was at Wigan. I want to bring a bit of that over here. I want to get a starting spot and go from there. I'd probably say my preferred position is in the pack, in the back row, loose forward. I enjoy being in the middle and in the mix of it so that's probably what I want to go ahead with this year."

Read more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/ ... 50qm1.html

VIDEO: John Bateman - It's a new challenge: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2019/01 ... challenge/
So is that back row or lock he wants?
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

Lock.

Back row covers second row and lock. Loose forward is lock in England.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by simo »

Thanks. Looking forward to seeing that. Having havs to give him a spell really is ideal
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by -PJ- »

I hope we have a competitive and successful couple of years while JBateman is with us..

Im real excited for the club, us and him.

I want him to fall in love with the club, city and its people.

I hope Canberra is a place he wants to be in when his deal with us approaches its end.

I'm looking forward to seeing him play.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by zim »

Well that settles that then I'd say.

8. Papalii
11. Tapine
12. Whitehead
13. J Bateman

Really looking forward to seeing how this goes.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by Matt »

Watching that video, he is an even more a slightly built guy than I thought.
Still not convinced he is built to play in the middle.
But with 4 international backrowers, 2 have to play middle, and Papa is 1 of them.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by zim »

Matt wrote: January 11, 2019, 9:22 am Watching that video, he is an even more a slightly built guy than I thought.
Still not convinced he is built to play in the middle.
But with 4 international backrowers, 2 have to play middle, and Papa is 1 of them.
Yeah I don't think his best spot is lock. Would rather see him at 2nd row. We're not going to see our main signing played in a less preferred position, at least to start.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by Dusty »

I mentioned this when we first looked like signing him. A couple of my mates in the UK who are good judges of RL players think he is best suited to Lock.


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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by edwahu »

He played a fair few games at lock in the UK, enough to judge his ability there. The only reason he didn't pay there more is they had O'Loughlin there, who is one of Englands best ever.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by Matt »

There is a reason he is considered a backrower/ centre. Which in the NRL leads me to believe that he is more likely to be successful on the edge.
Maybe he is a dogged tough nut that will make it work.
However, as we already know, we have 4 international backrowers, and while is generally accepted that Papa will move to prop, one of the other 3 has to go to lock. If Bateman was 1st crack, have at it.
FWIW, he is the smallest of the 4 we have, and I suspect he will be giving away anywhere from 5-30kgs (Lolo and Surgess are 120-125kgs) to his opponent every week at lock.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by zim »

Matt wrote: January 11, 2019, 10:03 am There is a reason he is considered a backrower/ centre. Which in the NRL leads me to believe that he is more likely to be successful on the edge.
Maybe he is a dogged tough nut that will make it work.
However, as we already know, we have 4 international backrowers, and while is generally accepted that Papa will move to prop, one of the other 3 has to go to lock. If Bateman was 1st crack, have at it.
FWIW, he is the smallest of the 4 we have, and I suspect he will be giving away anywhere from 5-30kgs (Lolo and Surgess are 120-125kgs) to his opponent every week at lock.
Yeah lock in the NRL is a different prospect to lock in Super League so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by Rick »

I would be much happier with Whitehead or Tapine at Lock.


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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by Raiders666 »

As long as Tapine stays out wide I'm happy
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by SeeBee101 »

Raiders666 wrote: January 11, 2019, 10:40 am As long as Tapine stays out wide I'm happy
Agreed - Tapine had his best season in the 2nd row. Wouldn't move him at all. I also think the best setup is for Whitehead to be starting lock with Bateman in the other 2nd row spot.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by edwahu »

Matt wrote: January 11, 2019, 10:03 am There is a reason he is considered a backrower/ centre. Which in the NRL leads me to believe that he is more likely to be successful on the edge.
Maybe he is a dogged tough nut that will make it work.
However, as we already know, we have 4 international backrowers, and while is generally accepted that Papa will move to prop, one of the other 3 has to go to lock. If Bateman was 1st crack, have at it.
FWIW, he is the smallest of the 4 we have, and I suspect he will be giving away anywhere from 5-30kgs (Lolo and Surgess are 120-125kgs) to his opponent every week at lock.
Yeah, the reason is because he had an english legend in front of him at lock. When that player was injured or moved to cover an injury it appears he played lock.

He would be 6kgs heavier and 3kgs lighter than the grand final locks, so his size isn't that big of an issue. He is 98kgs, not 88.
Last edited by edwahu on January 11, 2019, 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by bonehead »

tapine in attack on the edge I think is better than Bateman but in defence tapine needs a lot of work

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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by Wiki Special »

I know Tapine plays well on an edge but he should be the one shifted to the middle in my view. Bateman looks like an out and out edge player in the NRL.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by -PJ- »

I didn't catch a lot of what JBateman said..gibberish..

But I think he said.."It's bloody hot and the bike tracks are fantastic"

It was good see him in the green finally.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

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-PJ- wrote: January 11, 2019, 12:46 pm I didn't catch a lot of what JBateman said..gibberish..

But I think he said.."It's bloody hot and the bike tracks are fantastic"

It was good see him in the green finally.
All I heard was ....lock....the boys....
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by Matt »

edwahu wrote: January 11, 2019, 11:22 am
Matt wrote: January 11, 2019, 10:03 am There is a reason he is considered a backrower/ centre. Which in the NRL leads me to believe that he is more likely to be successful on the edge.
Maybe he is a dogged tough nut that will make it work.
However, as we already know, we have 4 international backrowers, and while is generally accepted that Papa will move to prop, one of the other 3 has to go to lock. If Bateman was 1st crack, have at it.
FWIW, he is the smallest of the 4 we have, and I suspect he will be giving away anywhere from 5-30kgs (Lolo and Surgess are 120-125kgs) to his opponent every week at lock.
Yeah, the reason is because he had an english legend in front of him at lock. When that player was injured or moved to cover an injury it appears he played lock.

He would be 6kgs heavier and 3kgs lighter than the grand final locks, so his size isn't that big of an issue. He is 98kgs, not 88.
TBH, I could have sworn he was 94kgs, so 98kgs is less worrying, and at 6'1" means the frame is right. BUT... BUT... he could still be the 3rd lightest lock in the comp - Radley and Murray are the only 2 who are lighter, and they give away 1 inch on him too. There are only 4 guys shorter than him, adding Gallen and Jackson to those two on that list.

Here is a list of the expected locks for this year and their dimensions:

Storm
Funicane is 106kgs, 6'2". So thats 8kgs lighter.

Chooks
Radley is 92kgs, 6'0". So yes, he is bigger than Radley.

Bunnies
Surgess is 116kgs, 6'5"
Murray is 90kgs (WOW, thats small), 6'0"

Bronx
TPJ 113kgs, 6'3"
Ofa 114kgs, 6'3"

Cows
Lolo 117kgs (I could have sworn they had him over 120kgs), 6'3"

Dogs
Jackson 99kgs, 5'11"
Elliott 103kgs, 6'1"

Warriors
Blair 114kgs (really?!? I would have said lighter), 6'2"

Manly
Jurbo 102kgs (I would have said bigger), 6'1"

Eels
Brown 107kgs, 6'1"

Panthers
JFH 103kgs, 6'2"

Dragons
JDB* 107kgs (*court case pending), 6'2"

Tigers
Taylor# 102kgs (#did I see he was released?) 6'3"
Eisenhuth 110kgs, 6'6"

Titans
Arrow 101kgs, 6'2"

Sharks
Gallen 104kgs, 5'11"

Knights
Guerra 104kgs, 6'3"
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by -PJ- »

I may have to watch the video a few more times..
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

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-PJ- wrote: January 11, 2019, 1:08 pm I may have to watch the video a few more times..
I think he's perfectly understandable. Though the first time I walked into a shop in Glasgow... I think it was a McDonalds actually... I had absolutely no idea what the guy said. He had to repeat it three times. Your ear adjusts pretty quickly though in the space of an hour or so.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by -PJ- »

greeneyed wrote: January 11, 2019, 2:03 pm
-PJ- wrote: January 11, 2019, 1:08 pm I may have to watch the video a few more times..
I think he's perfectly understandable. Though the first time I walked into a shop in Glasgow... I think it was a McDonalds actually... I had absolutely no idea what the guy said. He had to repeat it three times. Your ear adjusts pretty quickly though in the space of an hour or so.
You'll see him before me GE, ask him to slow it up a bit.

And too leave our flies alone....

This guy has a lot to learn about Stralia....
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

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Matt wrote: January 11, 2019, 10:03 am There is a reason he is considered a backrower/ centre. Which in the NRL leads me to believe that he is more likely to be successful on the edge.
Maybe he is a dogged tough nut that will make it work.
However, as we already know, we have 4 international backrowers, and while is generally accepted that Papa will move to prop, one of the other 3 has to go to lock. If Bateman was 1st crack, have at it.
FWIW, he is the smallest of the 4 we have, and I suspect he will be giving away anywhere from 5-30kgs (Lolo and Surgess are 120-125kgs) to his opponent every week at lock.
I think our pack is generally undersized this year- which could compound the effect- it's not like he has any huge heavyweights coming in to lend a hand. It might be Lui and Sia sometimes.

He'd be about the same as Radley in size, so it can be done. Whether it works with our pack, we'll wait and see.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by Matt »

BadnMean wrote: January 11, 2019, 2:36 pm
Matt wrote: January 11, 2019, 10:03 am There is a reason he is considered a backrower/ centre. Which in the NRL leads me to believe that he is more likely to be successful on the edge.
Maybe he is a dogged tough nut that will make it work.
However, as we already know, we have 4 international backrowers, and while is generally accepted that Papa will move to prop, one of the other 3 has to go to lock. If Bateman was 1st crack, have at it.
FWIW, he is the smallest of the 4 we have, and I suspect he will be giving away anywhere from 5-30kgs (Lolo and Surgess are 120-125kgs) to his opponent every week at lock.
I think our pack is generally undersized this year- which could compound the effect- it's not like he has any huge heavyweights coming in to lend a hand. It might be Lui and Sia sometimes.

He'd be about the same as Radley in size, so it can be done. Whether it works with our pack, we'll wait and see.
Heavier than Radley and Murray.
Taller than Gal, Jackson, Radley and Murray.
He is smaller than the rest of the predicted starting locks in the comp
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by dubby »

Isn't he roughly the same size as Gillett?

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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by dubby »

Actually, he's more like Wade Graham.



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The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

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dubby wrote:Actually, he's more like Wade Graham.



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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

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edwahu wrote: January 11, 2019, 11:22 am
Matt wrote: January 11, 2019, 10:03 am There is a reason he is considered a backrower/ centre. Which in the NRL leads me to believe that he is more likely to be successful on the edge.
Maybe he is a dogged tough nut that will make it work.
However, as we already know, we have 4 international backrowers, and while is generally accepted that Papa will move to prop, one of the other 3 has to go to lock. If Bateman was 1st crack, have at it.
FWIW, he is the smallest of the 4 we have, and I suspect he will be giving away anywhere from 5-30kgs (Lolo and Surgess are 120-125kgs) to his opponent every week at lock.
Yeah, the reason is because he had an english legend in front of him at lock. When that player was injured or moved to cover an injury it appears he played lock.

He would be 6kgs heavier and 3kgs lighter than the grand final locks, so his size isn't that big of an issue. He is 98kgs, not 88.
He's a better player than O'Loughlin, in my opinion.

However, O'Loughlin is (currently) the last in the line of the English Loose Forward - who takes the role of the third pivot. You can go back through the Farrell, Sculthorpe and Hanley from my lifetime who were greats of the game and back to Mal Reilly and, I'm sure, beyond for other examples.

We've now followed the Australian game in having the full back as the extra playmaker and using the Loose Forward, or Lock, as just another middle forward.

Bateman is better for that role than O'Loughlin, and although he has good hands, he's not the playmaker that O'Loughlin is and doesn't offer the extra dimension he brings.

I suspect he'll be in the middle to shore up the defence behind the ruck in the middle - where there have been plenty of gaps for the last couple of years. And don't worry about his size - you'd take a Pit Bull over a St Bernard in a fight.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by dubby »

Well said, Mr Posh.

Well said.

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The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

Got to say, I loved the way Gavin Miller played at lock... even though he was a nemesis.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by dubby »

GE, once upon a time coaches allowed players to be creative.

Now they all want robotic monstrous clones.

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If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Re: John Bateman signs with Canberra Raiders

Post by BadnMean »

MrPosh wrote: January 11, 2019, 7:43 pm
edwahu wrote: January 11, 2019, 11:22 am
Matt wrote: January 11, 2019, 10:03 am There is a reason he is considered a backrower/ centre. Which in the NRL leads me to believe that he is more likely to be successful on the edge.
Maybe he is a dogged tough nut that will make it work.
However, as we already know, we have 4 international backrowers, and while is generally accepted that Papa will move to prop, one of the other 3 has to go to lock. If Bateman was 1st crack, have at it.
FWIW, he is the smallest of the 4 we have, and I suspect he will be giving away anywhere from 5-30kgs (Lolo and Surgess are 120-125kgs) to his opponent every week at lock.
Yeah, the reason is because he had an english legend in front of him at lock. When that player was injured or moved to cover an injury it appears he played lock.

He would be 6kgs heavier and 3kgs lighter than the grand final locks, so his size isn't that big of an issue. He is 98kgs, not 88.
He's a better player than O'Loughlin, in my opinion.

However, O'Loughlin is (currently) the last in the line of the English Loose Forward - who takes the role of the third pivot. You can go back through the Farrell, Sculthorpe and Hanley from my lifetime who were greats of the game and back to Mal Reilly and, I'm sure, beyond for other examples.

We've now followed the Australian game in having the full back as the extra playmaker and using the Loose Forward, or Lock, as just another middle forward.

Bateman is better for that role than O'Loughlin, and although he has good hands, he's not the playmaker that O'Loughlin is and doesn't offer the extra dimension he brings.

I suspect he'll be in the middle to shore up the defence behind the ruck in the middle - where there have been plenty of gaps for the last couple of years. And don't worry about his size - you'd take a Pit Bull over a St Bernard in a fight.
Ok, valuable insight.

Anyone who's watched a few games has probably seen us slow up behind the ruck so he could help there.

Just me- I can't see how we stop a 3 Burgii or 2 big bopper roll down the middle with our current pack even if Papalli turns into a Kangaroo prop. Maybe this kid hits and stops 'em, who knows.
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