I CHANGE MY MIND: John Bateman just say a big yes to canterbury bulldogs for five-years contract extension to…

England international John Bateman is set to play a mentoring role for the North Queensland pack after signing a two-year deal with the Cowboys.

The forward will join the club immediately after being granted a release from the final two years of his contract with the Wests Tigers.

Bateman has signed with the Cowboys for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, joining a pack featuring Reuben Cotter, Heilum Luki, Jeremiah Nanai and Griffin Neame, and North Queensland officials are looking for him to mentor his younger teammates on and off the field.

“We have been in the market for an experienced forward with the ability to play either in the middle or on an edge,” Cowboys General Manager of Football Micheal Luck said.

“John bases his game around defensive intent and willingness to compete in every situation – a couple of areas we’ve made no secret we want to improve significantly on in 2025.

“Along with what he does on the field, we also believe he will be a valuable mentor for our younger forwards in Heilum Luki, Jeremiah Nanai and Griffin Neame.”

Inspirational Sharks captain Cameron McInnes will continue to spearhead the club’s pursuit of premierships after extending his contract until the end of 2026.

McInnes’ new one-year deal comes after a season in which he guided Cronulla to a preliminary final and earned a long-awaited State of Origin debut for NSW.

The 30-year-old lock, renowned for his toughness and intensity, has played 204 NRL matches over the course of a decade. He joined the Sharks ahead of the 2022 season alongside coach Craig Fitzgibbon.

“It’s a really exciting and proud moment to re-sign,” McInnes said.

“I was lucky enough to sign here for four years in 2021 and to be able to extend here is all I wanted to do. I’m really glad the club are happy to have me.

“The club’s in such a secure place. It’s a high-performing environment and that’s what I want to be a part of.

“I’ve got no doubt under Fitzy, the coaches and the systems in place here – I can’t see anything other than striving for the best each year.

“I’m going into my 11th year in the NRL, but I still have so many goals. I’m still trying to get better and get to the potential that I feel I have.”

The Sharks have also extended the contract of secondrower Teig Wilton on a new two-year deal until the end of 2027.

The 25-year-old, who was already under contract for the upcoming season, has played 85 NRL matches since debuting for Cronulla in Round 11 of 2020.

“It was an easy decision for me. I knew if the club wanted to have me I was definitely going to stay,” Wilton said after inking his extension.

The Dolphins have extended the contract of forward Connelly Lemuelu, who is now signed to the end of the 2026 season.

Lemuelu, who joined the Dolphins for their inaugural NRL campaign, has been a regular fixture for the club with 41 games over two seasons.

“I look forward to watching him continue to develop into the high-level backrower we know he can become,” Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said.

The Raiders have confirmed the re-signing of Xavier Savage, who will remain with the club until the end of the 2027 season.

The two-year extension will see Savage remain in Canberra for the next three seasons, as he looks to build on his impressive start to his NRL career.

“I’m very happy with how I went last year but I’ve definitely got a lot more left in the tank. Now it’s time to keep training hard and turn it up again next year. It’s exciting,” Savage said.

In Melbourne, Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him in Melbourne until the end of the 2026 season.

One of the competition’s fan favourites, the deal will see the 2020 Clive Churchill Medallist and premiership player remain in Melbourne for the next two seasons, much to the delight of the purple faithful.

Papenhuyzen first joined Melbourne in 2017 and since cementing his place in the number one jersey at the back end of the 2019 season, the Dundas Shamrocks junior has developed into one of the premier fullbacks in the NRL.