He's an average player but found his niche in the leeds team 04-14.

Since he's left the comfort zone of leeds his averageness has been laid bare for all to see.

The frothing at the mouth is ridiculous. These people are idiots. Bailey has never really done........anything! Odd high tackle here and there, occasional facial. Kids stuff.

He's not a dirty player of the game as such. You'd think he was Terry Newton level, running round with his elbow trying to kill people.

Why is the Meltdown great or unexpected?? the first page of your own forums thread on him starts with these nuggets below...all from Fans of Leeds who know Bailey better than any Wire fan.....

how could we win...? we sign Bailey and all explode, and you find it funny. We sign him and say "hey do you know what those Leeds fans haven't a Clue this Bailey feller is going to be fabulous,he'll get us to some more finals and be a great influence on our young academy players"...







crack on with these...but I guess you already know....

That selection of comments is what some Leeds fans think. Others are probably a bit more rational - i.e. the guy had huge potential which he never quite realised, but he was genuinely an integral part of the team that won 6 competitions. The club clearly ran out of patience with him, and he really struggled to adjust at KR then Cas.

I quite deliberately called Les Boyd on your forum because some of your fans deify him - yet this was a player that only went to England because nobody in Australia would touch him with a bargepole following two of the most disgusting on-field attacks you'll ever see. I say attacks because neither was the act of a hard man - they were both acts of cowardly thuggery. I don't recall Wire fans at the time of Boyd's signing rushing to burn season tickets in signing such a player, who did far worse than even Bailey ever did.

I don't think the crux of the matter is your or our individual views on Bailey. Its the fact that some of your fellow wire fans seem to have lost all sense of proportion. You've signed him as a bit part player, on a small wage and with plenty of get out clauses if he returns to behaving like a d1ck. But the (over)reactions of some on your board ignore both this and the fact that if he comes with the right mind set he could do a good job for you as he did for us. Talk of not buying season tickets etc off of the back of one minor signing seems like a massive over reaction.

Doubt that's really about Bailey tbh. Once-vociferous fans don't want to be seen as fair weather by abandoning a team that's struggled so instead they search for "issues" by way of excuses. A few Wigan fans sulked in the same way when we turfed them out the play offs from fifth, claiming that the regular season was meaningless and they wouldn't be renewing. Our board would be no different; I bet similar threats would have been made in the "name of god, allah, go McDermott go" thread, had we not won the 2011 and 2012 titles.

Warrington Wolves will start the new season without England utility back Stefan Ratchford and two of their new signings, Mitchell Dodds and Ryan Bailey.

Bailey will miss a reunion with his old Rhinos team-mates after being booked in for surgery in London next week to correct a mystery complaint that has dogged him for the past two years.

Warrington coach Tony Smith said: "He's been struggling with what was thought to be an Achilles problem for two years but, when we investigated, it was a muscle that some people grow around their Achilles.

"Not many people have it but he's got it in both legs and he pulled one in training.

"We're getting him operated on early next week and he's out for six to eight weeks which puts him out for the first four rounds."

"He's been in some dark places for the last couple of years," said former Leeds boss Smith. "He didn't cope well with leaving Leeds.

"I've been getting treated for the wrong injury for the last two years," said Bailey at Warrington's pre-season media day.

"That's what's been frustrating, that's why I got so down.

"I'm excited now because, once it's operated on, it's gone away forever. Hopefully I'll only miss four or five games."

good luck to him let's not kick him when he's down .Has Owt been said on the Wire board ?must take a look

I have a feeling, he'll have a decent season for them.

Out of interest, how does his individual trophy count compare to Warrington's whole squad combined?

I reckon Bailey has 12 in his trophy count compared to the Warrington squad combined of 16.

I think even Kirkey can beat Wires trophy count

Bailey won't set the world on fire at wire but if he can get himself physically and mentally in the right space then he will be a good signing. A solid been there and done it pro.

At Leeds he was part of a decent squad. He wasn't a star performer but not every member of the squad can be.

I've just been reading elsewhere that Bailey has been suffering from depression since he left Leeds.I wonder if he had it whilst he was here? Causing him to miss training at times and not seeming to bother about his testimonial? Anyway I hope he comes through it ok ,I've heard it's an awful illness

Leaving a club he's at played all his life with his mates - to be ostracised and play one game at Hull.

No wonder he was depressed.

I can vouch that it is !! And despite all the justified clamour for it to be better recognised and not treated in any way as a stigma it can still potentially jeopardise your chances of getting a new job when found on your medical record - as I found to my cost. I am very grateful I never told the GP just how suicidal I did actually feel (I played it down)....

thankfully I was able to recover, but I now know why people do what they do when everybody around them state they never saw it coming. It is a terrible disease still much punished by any new job applications if discovered.

Depression is responsible for more deaths in men under 50 than any other illness. It is criminally under resourced and treated as an illness that doesn't exist by much of society. I have suffered for much of my life and I work very hard each day to overcome it, the big 'game changer' for me after all these years of struggling has been to be completely honest, with my family, friends and employer. Why should I hide it, I wouldn't if I had a physical illness like Cancer, its up to society (especially those that suffer) to change the worlds view on what is a very real and very destructive illness.

I concur with all you say (and very much [uemphasise[/u)....and at least with an employer you have a long track record with there should be adequate understanding and support.

The problem arises - as I intimated in my last post - when you wish to start employment with a new employer. This even when it is a government public service position.

We have a long long way to go as a society. At the moment you have the growing acceptance you should be able to be totally open about it contradicted by the fact you will be punished for it by not getting the new job you were hoping for.

Agree with all that - but would also add that there is a worrying trend of sportsmen (and other celebrities) using the 'depression' card to try and justify poor behaviour, and that doesn't help those genuinely suffering from what is a terrible illness..

Not saying this is the case with Bailey, but I would add, the things he's done wrong and flaws in his character over the last couple of years have been present in his behaviour at regular points since his early teens.

"Using the depression card"?

Seriously?

If someone I don't know finds the courage to tell me - and millions of other people through the media - that they're suffering from mental illness, I'd be tempted to take that at face value rather than view it as some cynical attempt at excusing their behaviour.

I have known & know several colleagues, friends & family who have suffered to varying degrees with depression. One colleague I managed died a slow & painful death from the illness. However there is a tendency to label people now, which makes it easier to give them prescription drugs, with over a million under 5s in America on psychiatric drugs, making huge profits for drug companies. Most people feel down at periods in their lives due to specific events, hopefully with Bailey that's what it was, rather than something that has/will affect him all his life.

Possibly.... In mitigation do this scenario though, he's not somebody I don't know - I've known him since he was of primary school age - I still come across him fairly regularly. The issues that he's faced over the last couple of years are not new issues - he's just not had the comfort blanket of Leeds to protect him from the reprocussions of his actions. He might point to that as bringing on depression, I just call it having to deal with the consequences of your actions and not enjoying it.

And take him out of the equation, yes I am cynical when bad behaviour becomes public knowledge and is promptly followed by claims of depression - it's becoming a common theme. It's funny how these realisations of depression, or the other common one nowadays 'bi-polar' are only realised/diagnosed once it becomes public knowledge they've been acting like a goose!

Just my opinion, appreciate others will feel the opposite to me and be much less cynical - but that's where I stand on the matter. And like I say, unfortunately people who are genuinely suffering are done no favours in terms of the whole 'stigma' issue by those that I feel are using depression/mental illness as a way of trying to reduce the impact of any consequences linked to their bad behaviour.

I suffer from Depression and Anxiety Disorder, and I can assure everyone it, from time to time, affects your life in a massive way.

I stopped playing Rugby a few years ago due to it myself.

I respect Bails for coming out and communicating his issues, because I know how an individual hides it and puts on an act to make everyone think you're 110%, when you are far from it. You hide it more so from Employers out of fear for your job and how others view you as a person.

Over in NZ they have made massive strides to betting depression acknowledged. Sir John Kirwan fronted an advert; depression.org.nz/ and www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/ar ... d=10852127

Over in NZ they have made massive strides to betting depression acknowledged. Sir John Kirwan fronted an advert; depression.org.nz/ and www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/ar ... d=10852127

Wow. Simply wow.

It would be easy to lambast you for your comments but sadly your views are shared by many which is why mental illness still has such a stigma.

Exactly...there is still a long way to go. Many will still have to be careful before confessing their state of mind (and for many years yet to come it will remain too late for too many)