Canberra star John Bateman insists headlines about his contract won’t be a distraction for the Raiders in NRL grand final week.

Bateman was thrown into the spotlight on Tuesday when it was reported he would consider leaving the Raiders in the off-season if he couldn’t secure an upgrade.

The Englishman, who has two years left on his contract, had told NRL.com he would “have to weigh up his options” if the Raiders couldn’t improve on his current deal.

The comments drew widespread criticism over the timing, just five days out from Canberra’s first grand final in 25 years.

But Bateman insisted on Wednesday night he did not believe he would have to leave the Raiders, and nor was he concerned that it could impact his performance in Sunday’s premiership decider.

“I’m not concerned about the distraction … I’m happy to be at Canberra, I want to be at Canberra,” Bateman said.

“My family love it when they come over here. One of my best mates is actually moving out in January. It’s where I want to be and I can’t reiterate that enough.

“The place I want to be is Canberra. My agent will be doing everything to sort out for me. (Raiders CEO) Don (Furner) and (coach) Ricky (Stuart) will be doing the exact same.”

Bateman again proved his worth on Wednesday night, claiming the Dally M second-rower of the year award in his first season in the NRL.

He’s been both tough and crafty playing on the edge, and has made the third most one-on-one tackles in the competition.

His breakthrough NRL campaign comes after many rugby league fans barely knew of Bateman and his success in the English Super League at Wigan.

Now, he has easily been the buy of the season.

“I never expected that (award) when I got out here in January,” Bateman said.

“It’s totally down to the players that I play with. Yes it’s an individual award, but it’s a team sport.”