Bulls chairman Peter Hood has revealed the club are working hard behind the scenes to tie down John Bateman on a new long-term deal.

Homegrown back-rower Bateman, 18, has emerged as arguably the best young player in Super League following a series of outstanding performances.

He is under contract at Bradford until the end of next season but Hood is keen to secure the teenager’s services for several more years.

Bateman’s team-mate and close friend Elliott Whitehead this week put pen to paper on a deal which keeps him at Odsal until the end of 2016.

Hood is currently speaking to several more players and their representatives about new deals, with Bateman high on his agenda.

Hood told the T&A: “Elliott wasn’t out of contact until the end of next year but we see him as central to our plans going forward and that’s why we wanted to agree a new long-term deal.

“We can now build the foundation of the team and it would be right to assume that John Bateman is currently the focus of our attention.

“John is club-trained, homegrown and a Bradford lad in every sense.

“I’m in active dialogue with his management team and that’s an ongoing process.

“Do we want John Bateman here as part of what we’re trying to build for the future? Absolutely we do.”

A whopping 17 of the Bulls’ first-team squad are out of contract at the end of the season.

The list includes Danny Addy, Shaun Ainscough, Alex Ball, Kyle Briggs, Tom Burgess, Jason Crookes, James Donaldson, Olivier Elima, Bryn Hargreaves, Ben Jeffries, Phil Joseph, Manase Manuokafoa, Liam McAvoy, Karl Pryce, Jarrod Sammut, Ian Sibbit and Chev Walker.

Players who are not out of contract at the end of the year, including Craig Kopczak and Adam O’Brien, could also earn new long-term deals.

Hood added: “The process is well underway as regards those 17 and there may be others, like Elliott Whitehead, who come into consideration for new contracts during the coming weeks.”

Mick Potter and his coaching staff are also out of contract at the end of 2012 but Hood said no decision was imminent on that front.

He added: “We’re in March and have had only seven rounds of the season, so those issues will come up later on in the year – probably around June time.”