Wigan Warriors ace Oliver Gildart on the radar of NRL side Wests Tigers
Centre could be joined by a number of other players leaving at the end of the season
OLIVER Gildart is set to be offered an NRL chance with Wests Tigers as a raft of big-name departures from Wigan looms.
For SunSport understands John Bateman’s future may be decided this week as four clubs Down Under want him.
And Catalans Dragons owner Bernard Guasch believes Sam Tomkins wants to make the move to the south of France.
Centre Gildart is keen to follow in the footsteps of fellow Englishmen Sam Burgess, James Graham and Gareth Widdop and try his hand down under.
And Wests, where Gareth Ellis made his name in the NRL nearly a decade ago, are out to snap him up, especially as the 21-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season.
England back-rower Bateman is set to find out if he will be offered a new contract by the Warriors at a crunch meeting.
However Canberra Raiders, where big pal Elliott Whitehead plays, Newcastle Knights, Brisbane Broncos – who are coached by England boss Wayne Bennett – and Cronulla Sharks are all keen.
And should the 24-year-old not agree new terms, he has a clause in his current deal that would allow him to move to an NRL club for next year.
Tomkins, whose drop goal on Friday earned Wigan a 9-8 win at Leeds, has been offered a four-year deal at Catalans which would take the full-back until he is 33-years-old.
And the man who tabled the bid believes he wants to head to Perpignan, as well as admitting they are in for St Helens’ Matty Smith.
Guasch said on Tomkins: “All I know is the player and his family want to come to Perpignan, and we want him.
“And we are still talking to Matty Smith but we are waiting on St Helens and in full negotiation with them. One day they are letting him go and the next day they are keeping him, we need a quick reply.”
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