[urlhttp://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/9967302.Bateman_signs_new_Bradford_Bulls_deal/[/url

For Bradford!. Obviously those on here claiming you're signing him was a done deal werent as in the know as they thought

and the board lets out a simultaneous groan and sigh of relief.

Excellent, we dont need him anyway

Glad he stayed. Wonder what all the ITK will now drivel about.

im sure if warrington wanted him it would of happened

Good news. we've already got two outstanding young back row prospects. Let's concentrate on them.

who?

Do I really have to?

I;m guessing this is the lad we've been linked with all year, that i haven't seen have a good game ALL YEAR, and somehow managed to get young player of the year.

Linked with the club? I think we're talking at cross purposes. I'm talking about 2 back rowers that are already with the club, not linked with us.

yes, sorry teeside, my post wasn't aimed as a reply to you, i'm on about the fella at the top of the thread.

Ahhh. For what it's worth, I agree with you. He's been over-hyped from day one and each time I've seen him he hasn't looked like anything special.

Very pleased to hear about this (non) signing which I hope sends out a positive message to our under 20s lads.

He's a prospect, nothing more than that at this stage and we have our own thanks

We were loosely linked with him when Bradford were skint, and now they have resigned him as they're a bit more stable. No surprise whatsover. I love how the original poster acted like we'd all be gutted.

I think he looks a very good prospect. Lets not forget the kid is only 19. Think we might be being a tad harsh. He was captain of England when our own Ben Currie played alongside him so he must be rated highly. It's good news for Laithwaite's future though.

Good young player with good potential. I'm glad that despite their off field problems they have been able to keep hold of him.

I'm not, i'm relieved. He might look like a great prospect at Bradford, but at Warrington he wouldn't get close to our first team. We have too much strength in depth and great youngsters coming through who would get picked above him. And if he does improve then I'm sure Moranovitch will get his chequebook out.

Also, he has a ridiculous rats-tail which could only be deemed as cool in Yorkshire...... or St.Helens.

TBH I've never been that impressed with him, when I've seen him play.. He's only in his teens, and has a good decade ahead of him, and I hope his career prospers. I just get the nagging feeling that he's going to be another one of these "big fish in a small pool" players at Bradford (no offence to Bradford, but they've not been exactly sparkling for the last handful of years). We've seen it with other players recently, and they've not exactly set the world on fire. IMO, we've dodged a bullet, and, if we believe Walter Wizard and the rest of our U20 watchers, we've already got some belters.

We have enough talented back rowers which means we don't need him