League Express confirming Bateman to Canberra on a 3yr deal. Expected but it represent a huge loss in addition to our other departures.

Thankfully I believe Hamlin will step into Bateman’s shoes and role for however long we have him for.

Bumps up the need for a genuine right centre even more then.

I'm still hoping on hope that he doesn't go. He will leave *such* big boots to fill if he does. It hardly seems fair at this stage of his career to load Hamlin with that level of expectation.

And i still don't see where Bateman would play at the Canberra: Joey Leilua has just signed a two year to renew at right centre, club captain Croker is at left centre, and they have Whitehead and Papalii in the second row. I can't see JB displacing any of those four.

Until the club confirm it I’ll cling on to the hope he’ll stay. Do you have the link from League Express please? I can’t find it.

Read it in Monday’s edition of the paper mate, I haven’t seen any links for the story online.

Ha, modern life eh? I’ve not read a paper for years mate, I tend just to read online articles these days!

Thought I’d roll back the years and get a feel for paper again. I might even use it to wrap fish and chips in later

If the rumour I’ve heard is true, then I wouldn’t get excited about any new ‘glamour signings’ coming in next year. Apparently a big reason why Wane has jacked it in, he asked if the money recouped from all our departures would be put back into the team, was told no and to bring youth through instead.

Haven’t read much on here in a while so not sure if anyone has hear similar?

Even though we've already signed Zak Hardaker and Joe Greenwood?

That's two departures replaced already.

If we’d have signed a mediocre full back and second rower I’d be more inclined to believe this but given we’ve signed what was the form full back in the comp last season alongside a huge potential in Greenwood I’m not too sure.

I still don’t buy the reasons given by SW as to why he’s left but equally I don’t quite buy the above reason.

I did hear from a bloke who probably doesn’t really know much that Wane has left because he doesn’t like the direction the club is heading in terms of recruitment. As I said, the bloke who told me didn’t know for certain but that was a rumour someone had told him. I took it with a pinch of salt.

If that’s true I wonder if it’s because we won’t be doing much in the way of recruiting or more the fact that we were looking to recruit to then ship out Wanes trusted players like Sam and Joel Tomkins and previously Micky Mac.

The signings of Hardaker and Greenwood are a good start for us but we’ll need at least two more to try and get us in a solid position for 2019 IMO.