www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 66,00.html

www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 66,00.html

"Star import"?







Good riddance, how average is this bloke?

Very average. But just as average as some of the muck in the St Helens squad this year.

Look closer to home before spouting off!

Quite right

All saints players are average, they are just made to look good by the, erm, average players around them.

Bailey wouldnt get in Castlefords team, let alone the team head and shoulders above everyone else.

'Star player'. He is a medicore workhorse.

Good, this is the kind of average import we don't need in SL.

Except our muck is top of the league m'dear.

Bailey wouldn't get anywhere near Saints' mucky backrow.

He made Keith Senior look like a super start when he played in the centres for the Kangaroos

Um...no.

Bailey is probably one of the better players in the Wigan squad but does that really matter? He is competing against Poms!

He's so limited it's untrue, dread to think what they're paying him.

Perhaps he would consider playing like one of the better players from time to time.

Good workhorse - yes. Defence - pretty good. Other than that, he rarely shows hands or much sparkle in attack.

As much as I like Phil Bailey - he's an honest player, at least - we should only be aiming for outstanding imports and not workhorses.

Its alright though he'll go back to the NRL and be a stand out player like (34? year old) Darren Smith, 33 year old Craig Smith, and a crocked past it Jason Smith, and lets not forget the likes of Colin Best, a crocked Robbie Mears, and that prop who was total gash for Leigh, whom managed to get in contention for origin...

True. Shame he never did the same for us. We got him a bit too late I'm afraid.

He should be if NRL clubs are interested in him - but he will only be competing against some very average Aussies - if SOO 2 was anything to go by - so who cares, not the loss to SL that Barrett or Lyon were - did I see these two SL rejects getting a run out mid week in the biggest game on the planet!!!!

How wide of the mark can you be. Do they not get Superleague matches in Chorley?





Bailey is pretty average. He is a player that if the Aussie selectors had any sense we would not have let anywhere near a test shirt. Wigan are pretty unlikely to offer him a new contract.

While we're talking NRL.
Who was Man of the Match the last time NSW won an Origin encounter?

Bailey is a good professional and a solid player, but that's about it. We can't afford to use a quota spot on such a player in a position where we have some fantastic depth in youth breaking through in Mossop, Farrell & Flanagan.

Good luck to him back in the NRL, hope he gets to join a club where he is used well, and hopefully we can get a top quality half back with his quote spot.

He made Senior look like a tit when he scored a last minute try for us in 2007. Youtube it.

He's a poor man's Chris McKenna.

Yep.

Phil Bailey is average but he is an awesome defender and we do not look as good with him not on the field.

All teams have average players, both leeds and saints have a number of players who would look shocking if they were not around players that good. Gardner, Wilkin, Meli, Flannery and Ablett are all examples of this.

We will miss Bailey in a way but apparently he is on alot of money so if we can get a world class prop in to replace him and fill his spot with our talented young backrowers we should be fine.

Ge grew a really good beard/moustache when the Wigan players had that bet thing on a couple of years too..

No major loss. He's a great pro by all accounts and I for one have been impressed with his commitment to Wigan and living in the UK. But Maurice signed him up to a daft contract (surprise, surprise!), we need the wonga and he's easy enough to replace.

Only thing that bugs me is that (like one or two others have already said) having done sod all for us in two years, he'll go back to Aus and tear it up

Wilkin is in a different stratosphere to Bailey.