John Bateman was taken “off-guard” when he first rejoined Wigan but is ready to get them back to what they do best - winning trophies.
The combative England forward had a difficult season last term after returning from a two-year stint with Canberra Raiders. But he’s rediscovering the stellar form that saw him hailed as one of the world’s greatest second-rows. And now Yorkshireman Bateman is looking to help fire Wigan to Challenge Cup final glory against Huddersfield on Saturday.
He said: “I do feel like I’m getting there. Last year’s gone now. Mine (difficulty) was transitioning back in terms of moving back. I didn’t really have anywhere to move into; I didn’t get my home until halfway through the year so was travelling (from Bradford).
“And in my mind, I was coming back to the Wigan I thought it was when I left. And it was a lot different to that. There were a lot of different players and a different coach. It probably took me off-guard. Rugby-wise I was as committed as ever but it did take quite a lot out of me and I did learn quite a lot from it. That’s why it’s all about this year and moving forward. We’re doing that.”
Wigan have gone from dour rugby to great entertainers since new coach Matty Peet took over from Adrian Lam in the off-season. Bateman, who won two Grand Finals under Shaun Wane before heading to Australia, says new assistant Lee Briers has been a huge influence, too. One of Super League’s greatest half-backs, he won three Challenge Cups as a player with Warrington so has plenty of nous for Saturday’s Spurs showdown.
Bateman, 28, said: “It’s weird for me as I remember playing against Briersy when I was a kid at Bradford. He was injured at the time and still tore us to pieces. As a coach, he knows the game: he’s really into the details.
“He watches it non-stop and knows inside out what to do. He’s put some structures in place and we’ve been playing some good rugby. We have some exciting players who can put on a show if you let them play. Briersy’s been a breath of fresh air. We have the structures to follow but he lets us know that if we see something we can play some rugby. He encourages us to take that opportunity as Matty does and Lockers (Sean O'Loughlin)."
Bateman was on the losing Wigan side against Hull FC in the 2017 Challenge Cup final. Just a few months later, he experienced World Cup final defeat with England and also lost the 2019 NRL Grand Final with Canberra after a terrific debut season in Australia. Bateman is desperate to get back in the winner’s circle but admitted: “We need to focus to play a very good Huddersfield side.
“They’re only one point behind us in Super League. And you work hard to get to this point so you can’t let the moment pass you by.”
