RUGGER HUGGER
I just love a cuddle says mummy’s boy Bateman THE
“EVERYONE needs a cuddle to make them feel okay” is not a comment you expect from one of Super League’s hardest men.
England and Wigan enforcer John Bateman has a reputation on both sides of the globe as the ultimate competitor.
And as a youngster, Bateman admits he was heading the wrong way because of his confrontational personality.
But chat to the 27-year-old forward and he’s unashamedly sentimental and more than happy to show it.
On his struggles in his final year in the NRL, he openly admitted: “It’s a good job I had my girlfriend Amy and her family to help.
“They put their arms around me and told me everything would be okay. Everyone needs a cuddle, even if you are a professional sportsman.”
On his mum Beverley, he said: “I’m a mummy’s boy.
“Being back home and seeing a smile on her face means the world to me. The reason I come to work is to make her proud.”
It’s well documented that Bateman had daughter Millie when he was just 16 and still at school and he admits the shock of her birth gave him the drive to get his life in order.
Since then he has become a superstar in both Super League and during two years in the NRL, and will be key to England’s World Cup chances later this year.
But, despite his fame and fortune, Bateman insists he’s still a normal lad from Bradford at heart.
He said: “My mum has drilled into me that you never forget where you have come from. You might have money, houses, cars but where you come from is who you are.
“The majority of my old mates are my best mates today.
“They’re all scroungers though and I’m always giving them my shirts and training kit. I’ve had a lot so they’ve done well out of it.”
Bateman returned to Wigan Warriors after a sensational first season with Canberra Raiders in Australia turned
JULIE STOTT MEETS THE ‘HARD MAN’ OF WIGAN sour in the second year. A lengthy shoulder problem, plus Covid stopping his family flying out to visit him, led him to ask for a release.
Despite his problems, he finished last season in impressive fashion but is delighted he’s now back home, with Amy alongside him.
He said: “I didn’t think I’d every find true love but this might be. We get on really well and she loves Millie which is great.
“Amy is doing the touristy stuff at the moment but she’s a lawyer so will be looking for a job. I tell her that I never know when I’ll need a lawyer so it’s better to keep her close!”
As a kid, Bateman was heading for trouble.
He said: “There’s no doubt about it. My mum worked hard to give me and my brother everything but I always ended up in trouble. It was just me.”
The arrival of Millie, plus playing rugby for Dudley Hill, saved him and Bateman is still fiercely loyal to his amateur coaches and mates.
He said: “I would really hate to think where I’d be now, without them. I owe them a lot for what I’ve done in my life and career.”
HUDDERSFIELD’S home Super League clash with Wigan on Friday has been postponed due to a number of positive Covid-19 cases at the Giants.