Bateman's hopes for revamped Bulls
New owners Andrew Chalmers and Graham Lowe, the ex-Wigan coach, are in the process of assembling a squad and also need to appoint a new coach after Rohan Smith’s departure.
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Bateman, who was born and raised in Bradford, said: “You’ve got to feel sorry for the players and staff.
“You want it to get back up and working because there’s livings on the line.
“There’s a good fan-base there and it will be good to see how it goes under the new owners.
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Hide Ad“It is what it is, it happened and hopefully everything gets back together.”
England international Bateman made his Super League debut at his hometown club as a teenager, before joining Wigan in 2014.
He revealed he had cash-worries while playing for the former World Club Champions.
“When I was there, I was one of those who would be thinking, ‘What do I do now if I’m not getting paid?’ It’s a hefty thing to think about,” he admitted.
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Many of their best and most promising players have since signed for other clubs, including England academy captain Joe Brown, who is thought to have penned a two-year deal with Wigan.