In Sunday's game Canberra Raiders against Brisbane Broncos, John Bateman scored a try and set up another for Joseph Leilua. Ryan Sutton also scored a try. It was the first try in the NRL for each of those two Poms. Bateman was one of the stars of the game.
A petition is now circulating in Australia for the coastal town of Bateman's Bay, in southern New South Wales, to be renamed
John Bateman's Bay. This information is widely reported on NRL TV shows. John Bateman has become a cult hero at Canberra.
Richard Stuart is ecstatic.