John Bateman believes England can do something “very special” at the World Cup - even if he’s not guaranteed to feature.
The abrasive Wigan back-row was man of the match as Shaun Wane’s side eased to an 18-4 victory over the Combined Nations All Stars. Bateman - who debuted for England in 2015 - switched to loose forward and gave an all-action display. He scored one try, created another for George Williams with an impressive midfield surge and put in some big defensive hits.
St Helens’ Morgan Knowles, missing here through injury, is tipped to be England’s No.13 for their World Cup opener against Samoa at Newcastle on October 15. But Bateman showed he could be the man to fill that crucial loose forward role left up for grabs ever since Sean O’Loughlin’s international retirement in 2019. Wane has high expectations and said afterwards he’s not even sure if Bateman is one of only three or four players nailed on for a start.
