No overreactions here then



Terrific player, was gutted when he left Bradford for Wigan as he always looked a top, top player in the making.

Even though it was Wigan, I really enjoyed last night. Some fantastic young players on show.

I think he's terrific, a real hard man and a great fooballer. His lack of size and possibly ball handling ability (simply not seen enough to know) suggest to me that he will be a great club player rather than the answer to England's prayers. Like McIllorum, I would not swap him for anyone in the world.

He reminds me of Anthony Wotmough, not the biggest but tough as they come with a great engine. Very impressive but if business from Wigan getting this kid in.

I think it is inevitable he will head to the NRL at some stage, he is certainly good enough to.

He's 6'1" (185cm) according to the Wigan website so not that small. He's only 20 so will bulk up as he ages too. Frightening prospect.

I think he'd be an incredible centre - I have no worries about his handling skills.

Will replace O'Loughlin eventually.

Steady Eddie I did say if he keeps it up and I would agree if you mean there could be many a slip twixt cup and lip and all that. I just see a real ambition in him to be one of the best for the future, and for his age I do believe he has that star quality, and be honest how long did it take Sam Tomkins to show his worth?

If John Bateman stays in SL with us he will be a future Wigan and England captain, yes, he's THAT good. At 20 years of age the potential in Bateman is absoulutely frightening.

Gereat player! To think it was only a few months ago people were calling for 'H' back or someone else to come in...

He's absolutely nailed on for young player of the year. Absolutely outstanding signing

Oh absolutely

Sod the young player he's gotta be in the reckoning for MOS.

A straight shoot between him and Peacock imo.

He's been good recently but let's not over react. There are quite a few I'd put in front of him for MOS at the moment, JP, Hardaker, Clark and Taylor off the top of my head. If he continues this rate of improvement he will certainly be in the running for young player if not MOS but there's a long wat to go yet.

If we really did sell Hansen for a six figure sum and buy Bateman for the £70,000 I've seen reported, then that's one shrewd bit of business. He's a good player and possible future captain, I've regulary seen him talking to the team behind the sticks after we've conceded.

One of the best signings the club has made since dean bell, let's hope he stays just as long as mean dean did. The lad is absolute class and is as hard as nails,

I think he would make a great long term replacement for Lockers at LF. Bateman has good hands and I'm sure he could learn enough to be able to put the odd kick in. I think he is creative enough to play there and his size probably suits that more than SR.

I've been worried about how we would replace Lockers when he retires (which hopefully is still a couple more years away at least if SW keeps looking after this special player), but I think we've found the man.

We've got some very good prospects at the club but Bateman is already a top SL player and I suspect there is a lot more to come. A very good signing indeed and the abuse he is getting in some quarters already shows that the opposition are worried about him.

He has a fantastic passing game. I recall the first time I saw him play, it was for England Academy against AIS (2010/11?), he was comfortably man of the match.

I wouldn't worry about him being O'Loughlin's replacement, I would say he has a better, more natural passing game than O'Louglin already.

Did Wigan get a six figure sum for Hansen? A great bit of business if true.

His passing game is nowhere near SOL ATM, what on earth are you watching? It's hyperbole like this that makes me cringe at times.

I cant see this at all. My only criticism of Bateman is precisely that he doesnt pass and stiffles our attack on the right at times by not passing when he should. He also sometimes gets in the way instead of being a dummy runner as Farrell does on the left and as Hansen used to but hopefully that is just him getting used to our systems. To compare his passing to O'Loughlin's is an insult to O'Loughlin.

I haven't seen him play this season. The last time I saw him play was when he was being used as a battering ram at Bradford, which was criminal.

Trust me when I say he is a better ball player than O'Loughlin. The game I am referring to against AIS he was the most natural ball player on the pitch, AIS included.

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Bate Man.

He's turning out to be great signing, just glad Wire didn't get their paws on him when he was rumoured to be going there. Our best player this season along with McIlorum and Taylor.

The Yorkshire Musketeers

Obviously not to the high level he plays today but most of his junior career he played at stand off, and at 16 he came into our first team played a game off the bench at full back and was fantastic then started the next game at stand off and took Heworth to shreds. Not an easy thing for a 16 year old to do at conference level.

FWIW after watching him while at Bradford and keep tabs on him at Wigan - and hearing glowing reports from Wigan fans at work - the key thing he has picked up is consistency. He's dropped weight and switched sides since moving to Wigan, but in 2012 - when he was awarded Young Player of the Year - and the once or twice he wasn't broken last year he was playing just as well as he is now.

I'd sit with his grandad and from what he was saying when administration mk1 was happening there were offers from 3-4 NRL clubs, that will only increase I reckon. I think, no matter which club he plays for, he was always going to make it and probably make it very big. I for one was gutted when he left, I still am, he was living his dream but the financial fall-out put paid to that. Naymind, we still have Tom Olbison...!