English back-rower Joe Batchelor has shot down rumours of a move to the NRL whilst over here for the World Club Challenge.
Reports last month linked Batchelor to an Australian agent and claimed the forward was keen to move down under in 2024, having previously lived in Australia.
Batchelor spent 2015 living in Bathurst, plying his trade at lock for local club St. Pat's in the Group 10 competition, before returning to England to take up a deal with the Coventry Bears, however, the forward wouldn't go on to make his Super League debut until 2019.
While he joined St Helens that season, the year they collected the first of their four consecutive premierships, Batchelor wouldn't play a decider until 2021, winning the last two Super League titles.
Now 28 with a young family, Batchelor can't see himself returning to Australian shores anytime soon.
"I was incredibly surprised," Batchelor told Yorkshire Live.
"I was sat at home having just signed a new three-year deal and had just signed again with my agent in England, so I definitely haven't signed with an Australia agent, and we'd just had a baby.
"So it definitely came out of the blue and shocked me and my family, they were all ringing me asking what it was all about. There's no truth in it as far as I'm concerned, I've signed a three-year contract at St Helens and I have no intention of leaving any time soon."
Batchelor is fresh off his international debut, playing his maiden game for England against Greece during the World Cup, and even finding the line in his first match for the Three Lions.
The forward will line-up this weekend against St George Illawarra before turning his focus to the Penrith Panthers for next week's World Club Challenge.