Another youngster with great potential gone. It's getting very frustrating watching our young talent leave the club.

Im glad we kept Addy TBH. All three that have gone seem like billy big balls.

Makes me re-think that rumour of Scruton apparently talking to Dr Koukash...

Christ, news like this makes me think; who's next?!

There was also the 'Sammut to Salford' rumour which has all gone quiet.

It annoys me more when it's the young players that leave. It was only last year that Bateman signed a 3 year deal and lots of people thought: 'He's Bradford through and through' and 'I'm so glad we have great talent like this at Bradford'. A year on, and he has signed for the reigning champions. It was the same with Whitehead when he signed his contract in 2012, and the same with Naughton. They were all given long term contracts, and all three of them have departed a year into their contract. We need to stop selling our young talent.

We can stop selling our talent when we have enough money coming into the club to keep it. 2300 season tickets isn't enough.

Fact is we've been skint for years and this is a wake up call just like Wakey have had.

Whether we sell more is down to how much money comes into the club. I hope we got a good fee for Bateman, any news on whether it's cash only or is a player part of the deal? He's gone to a good club and good luck to him. Now's a big chance for the likes of Roberts and Mellor who look good IMO.

As a poster said earlier it's like "back to the 80s" we've no money, struggle to hang onto our best players (Hanley/Ford/Skerrett all over again etc), the tories are in, the charts are crap, what next? Perms coming back in? Keep your chins up people worse things happen at sea.

Stand by for an "I hate Franny Cummins" interview now Bateman's gone to Wigan or at least I hope not.

I'm fully expecting that to happen. Don't think they got on well.

Clearly, it is never great news to lose a young player who has come through the junior ranks and has high potential but it happens to all clubs and I do not believe that Bateman's loss is anywhere near the same level as that of Leon Pryce several years ago for example.

We have to be realistic as it relates to the Bulls position and their ability to keep hold of talent. That said, that was even true in the heady days of consecutive Grand Finals (Ryan Atkins, Stuart Reardon etc.). I see comments that we can not keep hold of talent and using the Burgess brothers and Naughton as examples - frankly no club could have stopped Sam Burgess once Russell Crowe came knocking and then it was only a matter of time before his brothers followed - just compare their life in Sydney to that of Bradford.

We also need to remember that the Bulls is a business and the club and directors need to do whatever they can to keep the club running. Information is not always going to be shared with fans as freely as we would like.

I believe that the Bulls made some progress on the field last year and I am confidant that with the signings that they have made they will make further progress in 2014, even with the loss of Bateman. Attitude and solidarity in the Clubhouse makes a significant difference in any sport {see "worst to first" Boston Red Sox baseball as an example}, and I believe that this is what Cummins is trying to achieve.

Wouldnt surprise me, probably be backed up by his bum chum EW. From what I gather that little group of EW, JB, and Jobs seemed to like the pop a bit to much. Invest in your career, these people want it given to them.

Wouldn't be surprised if there is another departure and possibly another couple of additions to come yet.

The fee for Whitehead I heard was in the 60k range, paid in instalments.

The comments from Radlinski show Wigan understand the problems and the solution. Bit like when Souths got Tom last year and said what they would do to get him up to speed.

Undisclosed fees often are a condition on the buying clubs side. This way other clubs don't know what their ceiling is when they come knocking for players.

Signed last week, before last Friday

Young players will only look good or shine if they are given the chance to play. Unfortunately it's something we seem frightened to do. look how many young players we've lost, given away or shown the door that have since been nurtured and progressed at other clubs! Time will tell!