Former Raiders gun John Bateman is reportedly set to join the Wests Tigers ahead of the 2023 season as negotiations edge closer to being finalised.

Tim Sheens’ newest recruit is set to be unveiled in the coming days according to The Daily Telegraph, having last played in the NRL in 2020.

The 29-year-old has been plying his trade for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League and was a standout for the English side at this year’s World Cup.

Bateman’s new contract could reportedly be a four-year deal, joining the likes of Apisai Koroisau, David Klemmer and Isaiah Papali'I in making the move to Leichhardt.

The merger club will reportedly have to pay a hefty transfer fee to secure Bateman’s signature to play under Sheens and assistant coaches Benji Marshall, Robbie Farah and David Furner.

The Tigers are also reportedly chasing Eels gun Mitchell Moses and Panthers star Stephen Crichton, however the pair are also reportedly targets of the Bulldogs.

SHARKS’ CONTRACT BATTLE

The Cronulla Sharks look set for competition in their bid to re-sign centre Jesse Ramien with multiple clubs reportedly ready to make a move.

Ramien is currently in negotiations with the Sharks over a new deal but The Daily Telegraph reports Wests Tigers and the Dolphins are interested.

According to the report Wests Tigers assistant coach Benji Marshall, who will take over from Tim Sheens after two seasons, thinks highly of Ramien.

The Sharks’ talks with Ramien, who comes off contract at the end of the 2023 season, are understood to have been positive but have become drawn out due to uncertainty around the NRL salary cap.

This has potentially opened the door for a cashed-up rival club to make a big-money move for the 25-year-old Indigenous All Stars representative.

A rival NRL coach told the Telegraph the Tigers would be in the market for a high quality centre despite re-signing Brent Naden earlier in the year.

The Tigers, however, were giving nothing away when contacted by the newspaper.

“We don’t talk about player recruitment speculation,” chief executive Justin Pascoe said.

“Our focus right now is preparing the squad as best we can for the 2023 season.”

GOULD SHUTS DOWN NELSON RUMOURS

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has moved to shut down rumours of a move for Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

The Daily Telegraph reported earlier this week that Bulldogs were entertaining making a play for the off-contract forward. News of the link would have come as a surprise to the Storm who farewelled fellow forwards the Bromwich brothers and Felise Kaufusi at the end of the season

Gould, however, was having none of it.

“It’s never been discussed,” Gould said on Twitter when asked about the rumours.

“He’s a terrific player, but Nelson has never once been mentioned at the Bulldogs.

“I don’t know who makes this stuff up, but they keep doing it. They are never held to any account.”

Gould then expressed his frustrations with the Bulldogs being linked to so many players as a mechanism to drive up player values.

“It doesn’t concern me, but it concerns rival clubs,” he said.

“It’s totally irresponsible. Mind you, the whole recruitment system is wrong.

“It’s an embarrassment to our code – but no one has the courage to fix it.”