Wests Tigers’ big-money arrival John Bateman is still awaiting a visa that will allow him to travel down under, with the Tigers left ‘beyond frustrated’ that the gun backrower hasn’t been able to join the club for pre-season.
With just over two weeks to their season-opener against the Titans, there is a very real possibility that the 29-year-old England international will miss the start of the campaign.
The Daily Telegraph first reported the hold-up on Bateman’s visa is an standard police check conducted by the Australian Federal Police on every working visa applicant, with the AFP currently warning applicants of delays “due to a number of factors outside our control”.
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The report claims Bateman and the Tigers began the process of applying for a visa months ago, but the delays have left the former Canberra Raiders forward stranded in the UK.
“Just looking forward to getting over there,” Bateman said via video link at the club’s season launch on Monday.
“I have waited a while now. Just looking forward to get over there and meeting the players, all the staff and all the fans.”
Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis revealed his frustrations with the ‘visa dramas’ this morning.
“It’s just visa dramas during the Christmas period, he’s got to go through police checks here, police check over there, he stands in line, there’s no exceptional circumstances for him (to) jump the queue,” Hagipantelis said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“It’s a working visa of course, it’s not a tourist visa which is much easier to get … we’re just going through the motions.
“It’s beyond frustrating. I’m not going to make any excuses, we would have loved to have him here by now.
“We spoke to him last night via Zoom at our season launch; he’s very excited to get here. He’s doing what he needs to do to keep himself fit and train, and they’re sending him all the plays.
Hagipantelis added he was hopeful Bateman would touch down in Australian in the next 7 to 10 days.
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