We'd have had to have paid a fee at the end of the season, as he's still under 24 and players of that age aren't covered by the "Bosman" ruling. The fee would have been decided by a tribunal, and would also leave other clubs free to join in the race for his signature. If he's a player we wanted, it makes more sense to get him now, obviously allowing for the fact Wakefield were prepared to release him.

With Bailey missing games due to injury, it would only take another prop to go down and we would be looking at using the likes of JJB in the front row on a regular basis.

Too big a risk to take.

For what is most likely a fairly low fee given the time left on his contract, best to get the lad in now. He's got 20-odd SL games under his belt so he's up to speed with the demands of the competition which the young forwards in the reserve and academy grades aren't.

Waiting til the end of the season would also have allowed him to talk to other clubs, and who is to say someone else wouldn't come in with a bigger, better offer for the lad?

No.Players under a certain age command a fee even if moving on at the end of a contract.

i suppose it makes sense if we would have had to pay something for him anyway and to add some depth to the squad.

Is he injured now?

big daddy fan are you

I like his sauce

must say he was poor against the reserves at wakey last weekend.
Ben Jones only back after long term injury was head and shoulders above him....

How's young ben doing overall roy??????
I remember watching him come through the juniors and he even won player of the year at one point IIRC.
Hopefully his injury nightmare is behind him and he can kick on and show the potential he was before injury.

I thought he was going out on loan to somebody until end of the season. Was it York?

Oh right,not heard that one mate would do him good to play a few reserve games 1st though i would of thought.

the question for me is this

Why if he is such a talent cannot he not get into a pretty average side like Wakefield - is he just not another Kirke only a poorer version?

But he has been getting into the Wakey team.

Considering where they were when JK joined to now i'd say the last thing they are is average


Plus as has been pointed he has been getting picked and that "average" team didn't look too shabby against us on friday either.

13 games this season IIRC.

He's also only 19, and has bags of room for development in him.

There are good young players out there at clubs other than Leeds or Saints you know.

Well somebody looked pretty shabby for about the first seventy minutes, an average team should have beaten both.

Pitts hasn't played 1st grade for Wakefield for six weeks and only once started a game for them at prop.

true - thank f*ck for Scotty Donald

I'll hold my judgement until I see him play, but I do think we should perhaps be supporting our own youngsters than buying everyone elses. Do you think that means we will get rid of someone else - Ryan Bailey?

I doubt it,Worrall is OOC as is Gibson!
Oh and warrington are buying everyone else

I second that - IMO Bailey needs to buck up or get out

Still under contract until the end of 2010.

He's been badly missed the last two games.

Wise words.