JOHN Bateman could be forgiven for sounding like the Righteous Brothers after bringing back that winning feeling.
Now to keep it for two more games and end Warrington’s ‘mad’ 69-year title drought.
The England back rower came back to this country – on his own – after former Test team-mate Sam Burgess came calling.
It will definitely be a short-term move from NRL side Wests Tigers. He will return Down Under with partner Amy Reilly and their son, who are visiting imminently, after Christmas.
Even if he does not head there as a Super League winner, he will travel with a renewed feeling of what victories can do for a player.
Bateman said: “I’ve said all my career that winning feeling is the best feeling. If you want to call it an obsession, I’m obsessed.
“I just love it., I’m obsessed with chasing that feeling and I’ve been part of a club that hasn’t done so well for the past couple of years.
“I came because I didn’t feel I was firing in the environment I was in. I felt like there was something missing, but the opportunity Warrington gave me was too good to say no to.
“It’s just about winning games and being presented with the opportunity of winning a trophy.
“And being part of these big games now, you realise how important they are. Being away from them for the past couple of years has given me a sense of how much I want to enjoy occasions like this
“Tonight will see a big statement about what we want to do and where we want to go. The first thing Sam said was, ‘It’s a chance to create history.’
“That’s all I came over for and that’s all I want to do.”
Familiarity also played a part in Bateman’s return – he knows many Warrington players, as well as Burgess.
What is definitely unfamiliar is Warrington winning the league. Amazingly, they have not done it since 1955!
Now winning at Hull KR will give them a fifth crack at ending that drought at Old Trafford.
But now he is 31 and having been there, seen it and done it – including beating the Wolves as a Wigan player in 2016 – pressure is hardly entering the equation.
Bateman added: “It’s pretty mad, isn’t it? For a club with the stature of Warrington, it’s pretty crazy.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been part of that coming from the other side of it. When you’re on that other side, you don’t really care.
“But look at the size and stature of the club – and where it wants to put itself – it’s something that’s disappointing for it but something we’re striving to change.
“The club tried to sign me twice before. I’ve always respected it for trying it’s hardest to get me.
“From the outside, I always looked at it as a family club and that the town has always been on the side of its players.
“Now I’m part of it, you can see what people meant when they said that. A day doesn’t go by when I don’t walk past someone and they wish me good luck.
“And pressure’s weird, it depends how you look at it. If you asked me a couple of years ago, I’d have been nervous. Now I’m a bit older, I’ve realised it’s just another game.
“The reason why we’re here is we’ve done what we’ve done previously. For us, it’s about playing the rugby we play.”
A MODEL has hit back after trolls said she’ll never be able to get a decent bloke because of her size.
Steph Oshiri, 30, from Canada, has made a name and career out of showcasing her curves, and even managed to buy a house with the earning from her modelling career.
But despite her high earnings, the model still frequently has to deal with mean comments from haters who don’t get what all the fuss is about.
In a recent clip posted to social media, Steph targeted one especailly nasty comment and had the perfect response.
“I get comments like this all the time,” she said, “like no high-value man will ever want to be with you. No high-status man. No high-earning man will ever want to be with you. La la la la la. I hear it all the time.
“And I think it’s so fundamentally important for the majority of both men and women to recognise that most of y’all are average, okay.
“Making average salaries, and living average lives are averagely attractive, it’s average for a reason,” she continued.
The model, who boasts 480k followers on Instagram, confessed she’s not so “delusional” to think she can get any man she wants anyway.
“Yeah, I’ve been known to be delusional at times, but I am not so delusional that I really thought that it was in the cards for me to pull like a NASA astronaut, like hello, look at me,” she said.
Looks aren’t everything though, as she went on to explain how as she’s gotten older she’s realised having a hot man by her side isn’t everything.
In fact, Steph said she’d rather have someone be there for her rather than have the perfect body and is a big earner.
It’s the little things that matter more to her now, she confessed, like if she can rely on someone to look after her if she gets sick.
“That to me, is love,” she said.
After sharing her thoughts on the comment, other TikTok users were quick to defend the plus-size model.
One user wrote: “I see you as a high-value woman. Based on what I’ve seen and heard from you. Smart, articulate and fiscally responsible on top of your beauty and sexiness.”
“I think people underestimate the amount of rich nerds who want a freaky bad b***h they could never have when they were broke,” a second said.
Previously, Steph caused a stir online after she revealed how she got famous derriere, which she claims is 55-inches, to be so big.
It’s all thanks to a protein rich diet, she explained on TikTok.
Her mission to get a bigger bum naturally isn’t over though, and she has faced plenty of backlash for it.
She said: “I’ve had people comment 20 times on a single video making fun of me and calling me every name you could imagine.
“It’s not a normal thing to receive this type of hate, especially not in the capacity I deal with it. I think most would struggle with it.”
“You have to really want to do this job for that trade-off to be worth it. Your mental health at times will suffer.”
Despite the strains of the job, Steph said she still hopes to soon hit her next career milestone and grow her social media following.
LUIS SUAREZ has slammed Marcelo Bielsa for creating a “toxic” atmosphere around the Uruguayan national team.
Former Leeds boss Bielsa took over the two-time World Cup winners in May 2023.
Suarez, 37, is Uruguay’s all-time leading goalscorer and was selected by Bielsea for this summer’s Copa America.
But the ex-Liverpool and Barcelona superstar has revealed an unpleasant culture behind the scenes.
Suarez told TV show De fútbol se habla así: “At the Celeste Complex [training ground], employees are not allowed to come in and greet us and eat with us.
“They have to be careful even at the door they have to enter.
“It breaks my heart that this is how life is in the Complex today.”
Suarez played a big role in Uruguay‘s Copa campaign, with the team finishing third overall.
He has since retired from international football – and revealed he wasn’t happy during the tournament.
Suarez continued: “There were situations at the Copa America that hurt me, but I didn’t say them for the sake of coexistence.
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“Many players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say good morning to us, but he didn’t even say hello.
“Bielsa gives a conference and talks wonderful things about people, and in New York.
“But there was a day when he asked us not to stop to greet people and I stood up and I told him that we were going to greet people anyway.”
Suarez also claimed he tried to talk to Bielsa following his retirement to patch up their relationship.
He added: “I had a five-minute chat with Bielsa, speaking as a group leader, and at the end he only replied, ‘Thank you very much.'”
Uruguay return to action on October 11 against Peru in the next round of World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
And Suarez begged fans to have patience with the team – signing off with a barb against his former boss.
The Liverpool legend said: “I ask people not to take it out on the players if something goes wrong.
“Bielsa has separated the whole group, even in the way they train.”
Argentinian Bielsa, 69, has been a coach since 1982.
He has an enviable record at international level, becoming a cult hero as boss of Chile over a decade ago.
The 69-year-old, famed for sitting on top of an upturned bucket on the touchline, is revered by Leeds fans.
He helped return the Whites to the Premier League after a 16-year absence, before being sacked in February 2022.
Bielsa is only the second non-Uruguayan manager to coach the national team.
Over his 20 games in charge, he has overseen 10 wins, 7 draws, and just 3 defeats.
A TINY island off the coast of Guernsey, just a mile-and-a-half-long and less than half-a-mile-wide, is open to visitors all year round.
Herm Island is the smallest of the Channel Islands open to the public and offers a relaxing holiday for families and people wanting to get away from it all.
It has beautiful beaches that many describe as feeling tropical in the summer, views of the French coast, plenty of activities, and it doesn’t seem to get crowded.
And the island is car-free to reduce its carbon footprint and to preserve its protected coastline, also adding to its relaxed atmosphere.
Lots of history follows Herm – there are records of people visiting Herm in the Mesolithic period, which began around 10,000 BC.
In the Neolithic and Bronze ages, settlers arrived and left behind tombs that can still be seen today.
These days, the island is home to a population of around 65 people and welcomes visitors who want to discover all it has to offer.
There are several beaches, its most famous one being Shell Beach.
Named for the millions of tiny shells that wash up on the shore, the beach has soft white sand, turquoise water, views of Guernsey, and a cafe serving salads, sandwiches, hot and cold drinks, and most importantly, ice creams.
Belvoir Bay is another popular beach in a secluded location on the east coast.
Fisherman’s Beach is famous for its rock pools, and Hotel Beach is a quiet beach near the White House Hotel with a harbour wall that provides a natural windbreak.
The White House Hotel is a 4* country house-style hotel nestled on the clifftop and is the only hotel on the island.
It boats spectacular views of the sea, has a two-rosette Conservatory Restaurant serving local produce and with a daily changing specials menu, a cosy lounge bar, outdoor pool and tennis courts.
And the rooms come TV, clock and telephone-free, adding to the island’s remote getaway-feel.
Prices to stay start at £155 per night for two people, including breakfast.
If you don’t fancy a hotel stay, holiday cottages are also available, and camping if you want a truly wild experience.
There’s also one pub on the island, The Mermaid Tavern, serving pub classics, including hearty meals by the fire.
Drinks wise, there are a selection of beers and offer, including Liberation Herm Island Gold.
When it comes to activities on the island, Outdoor Guernsey runs a variety, including archery, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding at Shell Beach, and seal spotting.
The only way to arrive to Herm Island is by boat – either by Travel Trident passenger ferry from Guernsey, or aboard a private vessel.
If you’re travelling from further afield you need to get to Guernsey first, which you can do by air or by sea.
The Sun’s Head of Travel Caroline McGuire visited Herm and particularly enjoyed its stress-free walks.
“You’re going where?” was the baffled reaction from several friends when I told them about my trip to the island of Herm.
I can’t blame them. Until a couple of months before, I’d never heard of the magical island in the English Channel either.
Herm has incredible sandy shores, including Shell Beach, which looks like it belongs in the Caribbean.
Dolphins are regularly spotted in the turquoise waters and have been known to swim in among the bathers on a summer’s day, while seals lounge on the rocks offshore.
After three hours of sandcastle-building on an empty beach, we rewarded ourselves with Aperol spritzes and ice creams at possibly the best beach bar in the British Isles.
Shell Beach Cafe might feel like it’s at the end of the world, but it has cheese and charcuterie boards, “pastel de nata” custard tarts, jugs of rum punch and in peak summer, French and Spanish-themed evenings, where it serves up moules et frites or paella with live music.
Heading inland, sandy lanes criss-cross through stonewall-edged fields and bluebell-dense woodland, taking you from one side of the island to the other in 20 minutes.
Meandering is stress-free thanks to the lack of vehicles and the fact that it’s impossible to lose your way.
As one islander told us: “If you get lost, just walk along the sea and you’ll soon find yourself in a spot you recognise.”
A FATHER of triplets died after falling down stairs on a “lads and dads” golfing trip at a luxury hotel.
Edward Sidgwick was looking for his room at the four star Dunston Hall hotel near Norwich, Norfolk, when the tragedy unfolded.
The 53-year-old initially took a lift upstairs before remembering his room was actually on the ground floor.
Edward then made his way back downstairs where an inquest heard he likely stumbled and hit his head on the corner of a wall.
Norfolk Coroner’s Court heard the banking consultant was more than three times over the drink-drive limit.
He had first enjoyed a “debrief beer” with his son Robert, 24, his brother, two nephews and three friends after a day of golf on June 15.
Robert told the inquest it was the first time the younger generation had been able to join a “lads and dads” golf tour.
The group then headed back to their rooms to get ready for an evening meal at 6pm.
During this time, Edward phoned his wife Joanna to tell her “what a great day” they all had.
When the group finished their dinner, they headed to the hotel bar where the dad was refused service as he was too drunk, the court was told.
Staff said he took this “in good spirits” and decided to return to his bedroom at the 19th century hotel.
Edward was discovered just before midnight by members of his group, who at first thought he had fallen asleep.
But when he failed to wake up, paramedics were called and discovered he was in cardiac arrest and had suffered a serious head injury.
Edward was tragically declared dead at the scene, with his cause of death given as traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage associated with a skull fracture due to a severe traumatic head injury.
The post mortem also cited “excessive alcohol intake” as a secondary cause.
Norfolk Police trawled the hotel’s CCTV and said Edward seemed to be able to walk “reasonably well” as he left the bar.
He pauses at the bottom of the stairs to look at his phone before entering the lift.
Police said he entered and exited the lift three more times before going in a final time.
The court was told the hotel had no CCTV on the upper floors so it is not clear where Edward got out.
He was discovered on the stairs around seven minutes later, the force confirmed.
His mobile was found on the floor near him, which suggested he may have been using it while walking down the steps.
The police report added: “Mr Sidgwick and his group all had rooms located downstairs on the bottom floor.
“It appears that he had been unsure of where his room was located and has taken a lift upstairs and then realised he needs to go downstairs and has decided to take the stairs instead of a lift.
“It looked like he had stumbled down some stairs and hit his head on the corner of a wall.
“There were no tripping hazards, and it appears the likely cause of the fall would be down to Mr Sidgwick’s intoxication.”
Coroner Christopher Leach recorded a verdict of alcohol-related death.
He said: “Mr Sidgwick was a committed family man who was clearly dedicated to and proud of his loving family.
“It was during the course of a family event that Mr Sidgwick sadly passed away.
“Mr Sidgwick’s fatal head injury was most likely due to the fall sustained around the time of death and that high alcohol levels rather than some other medical condition or an accident had likely contributed to the fall.”
Edward’s wife paid tribute following the inquest, saying he was a “dedicated family man” and a “hands-on dad”.
Joanna added: “At the end of the working week, Ted liked to unwind with the dog, rugby, and a beer in a bar room we have in the garden. He took pride in our home.”
