Agreed a new deal up until 2018 according to e-mail from Wigan.
More good news to come.

The contract extension will see John stay with the Wigan Club until the end of 2017 with an option for 2018. The contract will allow John the opportunity to go to the NRL in 2019 on the provision that a substantial transfer fee is agreed.

I dont get it if the contract is until teh end of 2018 now can we request a fee?

anyway thats years off

Great news!

More to come Brian? C'mon spill.

I'm sure there will be few on "the other site" who will find a reason to disagree

Boooooo! I don't understand why he is not given a 10 year contract, 2 million a year, index linked.... Useless!!!!

Great signing well done to John Bateman.

Sorry if I come across as one of those killjoys but it doesnt strike me as particularly good news. Doesnt it essentially look like he'll be off in 2 years? At least thats an improvement on just the one i guess.

Great signing, he’s been our player of the season IMO. I’d be tempted to continue with him at centre next season then shift him to loose once Lockers retires.

Fully deserved. Hopefully we will see him in the C&W for many years to come.

That's how I'd go as well. I thought he was very much a stop-gap in the centre as he doesn't get as involved as he does at SR and I thought there were issues with his passing, but he looked very accomplished there by the end of the season. It also means we can keep Farrell, Joel and Bateman on for the full 80, which is how all 3 are best used IMO.

Hopefully Wane has signed a new 5 year deal

Me too, i can handle 4 GF's on the trot...

Great bit of business by the club, well done to all involved.
If Joel, Faz or Lockers are fit and playing then I'd play him left centre with Gelling right.
Should any of the back rowers be unavailable then back row and Gildart to left centre.
Bateman is one quality Rugby League player!

Because we have the option of a 4th year, so if he decides he wants to go then we take that option and get a fee.

Me too, we're a punch and a horrible refereeing decision away from having 3 consecutive titles. I think Wane knows what he's doing.

He's so important to us going forward because he gives us that safety net for when Lockers is unavailable and eventually for when he calls it quits. In the meantime he can play back row and be one of the best in the comp or can play centre and be the same.

He along with George Williams, Sam Tomkins and Liam Farrell give me total confidence that we'll be at the very top end of superleague for a very long time. They're four plays you build a side round and that's exactly what we're doing. I thought 12-18 months back there was too big a reliance on Micky Mac and Lockers but that's lessened this year and that's no bad thing IMO. Other players are taking on far more responsibility.

Great news, he's by far our best player.

Not sure Lockers should be doing the full 80 anymore. Isa will presumably be doing a shift off the bench

If anything I would have wanted an even longer deal but will take this gladly.

Original report is corrected now its actually 3 years until end of 2018 then an option for another year from wigan

The NRL thing was put in by wigan to protect that extra 2019 year

Bateman is one of those players who just looks "right" on a rugby pitch. You can just tell he has class and knows what he is about. Burgess is another. They come along every now and again and stand out over even good players because they have that bit extra.

Signing him for three years is much better than originally reported but I wish the club would give up mentioning the NRL. Just say he'd signed a three year deal with a possible extension for 4. If he sees his deal out no one can complain if he leaves to the NRL or another SL club if that is what he wants to do.

A three year deal with a possibility of four is a very good bit of business.

All mentioning the NRL does is take the gloss off it because it makes it sound inevitable he is going to leave. I am not sure Bateman would fancy it anyway, just a feeling it might not appeal.

Four years is a very long time. You could well imagine John being England Captain by that time.

The NRL thing is mentioned because the club has covered its back. They will get a fee if (and its a big 'if') he wants to go. I think the press release mentioned that he has no plans, but the club are being realistic. If his career pans out like the majority of us think it will, he will get floods of offers from the NRL.

I really don't see why, even with what is good news, you still manage to find an angle to criticise the club. You are the original 'glass half empty' man.

Why mention it at all though, it does sound a but like NRL clubs we want your money in 2019, just because its in the contract doesn't mean they need to mention it

But im not too bothered thats many years off