Former Canberra Raider John Bateman is returning to the NRL this year with the Wests Tigers after signing a four-year deal with the inner west club.
However, despite the excitement surrounding his signing from the Super League, there is one aspect of the deal that is proving troubling, and that is the fact that the powerful backrower is still yet to get his visa.
Thankfully for his new coach Tim Sheens, he is still getting his new player involved with Tigers training by videoing the sessions and sending them to Bateman, who remains stuck in the UK.
"I want him to see everything we do so he can really hit the ground running when he gets here, hopefully in the next few weeks," Sheens told Wide World of Sports.
"I'm also going to send him our two upcoming trial matches so he can see the team in action and learn the moves we are using.
"It's been a bit of a hiccup with the visa problems but I'm not worried. He's signed for four years so we are both in this for the long haul."
Bateman will be a solid addition to the Tigers when remembering that their second-row will also boast former Eel Isaiah Papali'i, one of the game's premier forwards for the last two seasons.
That's a strong pairing to be playing off the like of new hooker Apisai Koroisau who will bring to the club a firm winning mentality from his former side, the Penrith Panthers.
The Tigers kick off the NRL pre-season challenge tomorrow when they face the New Zealand Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium.
Their regular season begins on March 5 against the Gold Coast Titans, and this new-look Tigers outfit will hope to finish well above their disastrous last-place finish in 2022.
