Wests Tigers’ big-money arrival John Bateman continues to be awaiting a visa that can permit him to journey down below, with the Tigers left ‘beyond frustrated’ that the gun backrower hasn’t been capable of be part of the membership for pre-season.
With simply over two weeks to their season-opener in opposition to the Titans, there’s a very actual chance that the 29-year-old England worldwide will miss the beginning of the marketing campaign.
The Daily Telegraph first reported the hold-up on Bateman’s visa is an commonplace police test performed by the Australian Federal Police on each working visa applicant, with the AFP presently warning candidates of delays “due to a number of factors outside our control”.
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The report claims Bateman and the Tigers started the method of making use of for a visa months in the past, however the delays have left the previous Canberra Raiders ahead stranded within the UK.
“Just looking forward to getting over there,” Bateman mentioned through video hyperlink on the membership’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 mentioned on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“It’s a working visa in fact, it’s not a vacationer visa which is way simpler to get … we’re simply going by way of the motions.
“It’s past irritating. I’m not going to make any excuses, we’d have liked to have him right here by now.
“We spoke to him final night time through Zoom at our season launch; he’s very excited to get right here. He’s doing what he must do to maintain himself match and prepare, they usually’re sending him all of the performs.
Hagipantelis added he was hopeful Bateman would contact down in Australian within the subsequent 7 to 10 days.
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Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
