John Bateman heading home to Bradford Bulls in 2027 on two-year deal
IT has been 14 years in the making but John Bateman is heading home to where it all started at Bradford Bulls.
The 32-year-old England and Great Britain international has signed a two-year deal to return to Odsal with the Bulls holding the option of a third year.
It will bring an end to Bateman’s time in the NRL, where he has spent the last two years with North Queensland Cowboys.
“It is pretty surreal,” said Bateman on his return to where he started his professional career back in 2011.
"This is something I’ve wanted to do in my career but in the back of my mind I didn’t think I would get the chance.
"When Bradford got promoted back to Super League, coming back was something I wanted to make happen and having spoken to Jason and Kurt over the last few months, it made the decision a lot easier and now to have got it over the line in the last couple of days is a great feeling.
“It gives me goosebumps thinking about running back out at Odsal, it’s been a long time since I did that in a Bradford shirt and I am just excited to be a part of the project that Kurt and Jason are building.
"I am looking to give as much as I can to the club and the city, I am a Bradford lad and this city means more to me than anything.”
Having debuted aged 17 against Catalans Dragons in 2011, Bateman made the move to Wigan Warriors where he won two Super League titles and a World Club Challenge.
His impressive form over five seasons with Wigan earned him a move to the NRL’s Canberra Raiders in 2019.
After a Grand Final appearance in his first year with Canberra – defeated 14–8 by the Sydney Roosters – Bateman returned to Wigan in 2022, playing a key role in their Challenge Cup triumph before further spells back in Australia with Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys, who he joined ahead of the 2025 NRRL campaign.
The Bradford-born second row has made 31 international appearances for England and Great Britain.