John Bateman admits he's settling into Canberra well as the forward prepares for his first season in the NRL.

Bateman admits he's still getting used to his surroundings in the nation's capital however the transition from Wigan to Canberra is being made easier by his close friend and teammate Elliott Whitehead.

The pair share a close bond after having previously played together at the Bradford Bulls from 2011-2013.

"Yeah it's good, I'm still getting used to my surroundings and finding my way about although Elliott has been helping me out," Bateman said.

Bateman also revealed that Whitehead played a key part in his decision to move to Canberra and that having a few familiar faces around is making the transition from Wigan to Canberra a seamless one.

"I had Elliott nagging me all the time on the phone telling me to come over, knowing Elliott and Hodgy definitely helps and I took that into consideration when thinking about the move."

"I think there are more English people here then there are back home."

"We have a great bunch of players here and it's really exciting to see what we can do here."

"I've been training for two and a half weeks now and we have been putting together some great stuff on the field so far."