NRL Talking Points: Greg Inglis' future and John Bateman's impact

Jenna Brooks has the latest from the NRL as round four handed a number of players serious injuries - plus, have we have seen the last of Greg Inglis?

'John Bateman's Bay'

In just one month, John Bateman has stolen Canberra's heart. Can he steal a town's name?

After four games Bateman joins five other players, including Sam Burgess in third on the Dally M leaderboard with six points.

To honour their newest star, Raiders supporters have come together and signed a petition to ask the NSW Government to rename Seaside town Bateman's Bay 'John Bateman's Bay'.

While the renaming of Bateman's Bay is highly unlikely, Bateman has been named in Mal Meninga's top three so far in 2019, alongside Roosters duo Luke Keary and James Tedesco.

Meninga called Bateman every coach's dream. A competitor, a player who never gives up on plays and always runs hard.

"To be able to take the NRL by the scruff of the neck and impress people so early on, also proves to me that the English players are all so strong and talented.

"Often you hear that Super League is not as great a competition as the NRL. But when they come over here, they can all slip straight into first grade and show their skills immediately.

"From a representative point of view, it's scary. England are a very formidable national side." Meninga wrote in his nrl.com column.

Bring on 2021!

Inglis' future

Have we seen the last of Greg Inglis?

Wayne Bennett has granted his captain a week away from the game.

Inglis, who has been sidelined for the last two games, has struggled this year with a number of injuries, and over the weekend suffered from food poisoning.

He is expected to miss at least the next two matches and reports suggest the Rabbitohs are currently having discussions about his future, despite the Queensland captain announcing his plans to play on until the end of 2020.

Bennett admitted if his player needs a longer break, he will get it, but said Inglis' playing future is not in doubt.

"Well not to my knowledge at the moment, no," Bennett told the Herald.

Sam Burgess has jumped to his teammate's defence, asking the media to stop putting pressure on the situation.

"He's around training and he's doing his best to get in as best shape he can for the team.

"There is a lot of pressure being put on Greg externally at the moment. It could probably do with backing off a bit. He's probably not going to be playing in the next week or two," Burgess said.

Injuries galore

A week is a long time in sport. Just ask the Bulldogs. They have lost two of their best players to the same injury in just seven days.

Dylan Napa will join team-mate Kieran Foran on the sidelines after he also injured his ankle during Sunday's defeat to Melbourne.

While Foran is out for up to three months, there is a small positive for Canterbury. Napa will only need half the time to recover from a grade two ankle syndesmosis.

Round four was an unfortunate one for a number of clubs and their key players.

St George Illawarra have lost Korbin Sims for up to two months, after he broke his arm in the Dragons golden point win over Newcastle. Sims, who was playing just his second game for the Dragons, had surgery on Monday.

Tom Trbojevic has been ruled out until potentially round 13, just over a week before the State of Origin opener, with a severe hamstring injury. It's the second time the Manly and NSW fullback has torn the muscle this season.

Cronulla who are already without Wade Graham and Matt Moylan, were dealt another big blow. They'll be forced to play without prop Aaron Woods until July, after the Sharks prop fractured his foot.

Holmes latest

Valentine Holmes dominated headlines this week after the NFL hopeful returned to Australia and remained silent on his future.

That got everyone talking. Would he sign with the Cowboys, could Cronulla somehow get him back or is he going to return to the US and keep his NFL dream alive?

On Tuesday, the former Sharks fullback, who opted to turn his back on a £2.7m NRL contract, to pursue a career in the NFL, revealed he had accepted a one-year deal with the New York Jets.

Holmes, who has been training as a running back, wide-receiver and punt/kick returner, has accepted a place in the International Pathway Program, which means he'll become a member of the Jets practice squad.

However the former NSW and Australia representative can only play in the NFL this year if he's added to the team's 53-man playing roster.