John Bateman has hit back at questions over his fitness, with the Wests Tigers second-rower claiming his detractors don't know anything about a rugby league pre-season.
Bateman made a solid return in his first NRL match in two-and-a-half years in Sunday's 26-22 loss to Canterbury, in what the Englishman labelled as the hottest conditions he had ever played in.
In a winless team struggling for form, Bateman was able to poke his nose through in attack several times and made 28 tackles.
Bateman's first game for the Tigers came after his arrival to Australia was delayed until late last month due to visa issues, after signing a four-year deal in December.
The Tigers' decision to hold Bateman back while he acclimatised to conditions and learned team structure prompted suggestions he was injured after battling an ankle problem last year.
That has regularly been rejected by the Tigers in recent weeks, who are adamant they have not bought damaged goods.
A point Bateman wants to make clear.
"Quite a lot of people have been saying 'he's injured blah, blah, blah' but I think those people have never done a pre-season," Bateman said.
"A three-week pre-season isn't good for anyone.
"If I'd have played the first week and got injured then everyone would have been saying 'why did you play so early?'
"It's pretty hard. Different people play differently. I play a lot differently to people so it's about understanding people. That's the hard thing.
"I've just been acclimatising and getting used to it. I don't know any of the boys or the plays. I was still a bit scratchy, understanding what we are doing."
Bateman warned it would take some time to learn the Tigers' plays, having only met his teammates for the first time three weeks ago.
A star in his two years at Canberra in 2019 and 2020, he returned to England to be near to his young daughter when closed borders during COVID-19 left him homesick.
Bateman did not watch the NRL during his time back in England, where he remained one of the world's best edge forwards at Wigan.
But he is under no illusions of the job ahead at the battling Tigers, hoping to return to the heights he was able to reach at the Raiders - which included a grand final and preliminary final appearance.
"The opportunity for the Wests Tigers to bring me out here motivated me and I feel like I play my best rugby out here," Bateman said.
"The game probably suits me a little bit more.
"I liked what Sheensy was talking about with what he wanted to build.
"When you get here you realise how big the club is, and we need to go places."
