Warrington Wolves Boss Sam Burgess Mulls Over Fitting New Recruit John Bateman into Lineup
After Warrington Wolves’ recent 22-4 home defeat against Hull KR, boss Sam Burgess admited he’s still determining the best position for new signing John Bateman within his squad.
Bateman, a two-time Super League champion, joined the Wolves on a loan deal from NRL club Wests Tigers until the end of the season, with his arrival announced last week. The 30-year-old England international made his debut for the club on Friday, coming off the interchange bench in the second half.
Burgess acknowledged that Bateman, who has 26 England caps and four appearances for Great Britain, is still settling in after a long flight and is currently residing in a hotel. Despite the challenges, Burgess was pleased with Bateman’s initial performance, stating,
“He’s come off a long flight… he got in Monday, trained Tuesday and he’s living in a hotel at the moment. He’s not settled in by any means, that’s our job to get him settled in, but I thought he was great.”
The Warrington boss went on to praise Bateman’s versatility, noting,
“He’s good anywhere, he can play anywhere John. I’ve played with him at left centre outside me, he’s played left back-row and I’m in the middle, I’ve played with him when I’m the edge and he’s the middle… I know he can do all of those roles great, because I’ve played next to him in all of them.”
Burgess acknowledged that determining Bateman’s optimal position within the team may take a few more weeks, as he looks to integrate the new recruit and potentially provide rest for other players.
“It’s just whatever fits us best moving forward, and we might not know that for a few more weeks yet. What (having him) does, it gives us an opportunity to rest a couple of guys over the next few weeks and give him some time in our system. I’ve got some decisions to make then, and it’s going to be pretty tough.”
With Bateman’s arrival, Burgess and the Warrington Wolves will be aiming to find the right balance in their lineup as they look to bounce back from their recent defeat and challenge for the top spots in the rugby league table.
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