John is leaving the Wigan Warriors to become a member of the Wests Tigers.
The second row will be returning to Australia.
After leaving Wigan for the Raiders, he returned home to sign a four-year deal at the DW Stadium.
He played in four of the Rugby League World Cup games for England.
In a statement, Wigan said that they had first heard "murmurings" that Bateman wanted to leave in July but after speaking to the player, his agent and the club in question, they made it clear that they wanted him to remain at Wigan.
They said that after the World Cup, they agreed to delay discussions until after the tournament, after which they would be able to make a decision on his future.
John told us on Wednesday, 14 December that he wanted to try the league again.
The club now accepts that it is in everyone's best interests that John is allowed to leave Wigan.
We acted with the best interests of the club in mind and will continue to do so. John's transfer fee was a significant one. We would like to thank John for his service over the years.
Wigan will keep an eye on the situation and there will be no immediate replacement.
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