Bailey Signs With Manly!

Pumba

Pumba

John Morris
The Manly Sea Eagles today won the keen contest to sign outstanding young Newcastle Knights five eighth Chris Bailey for three seasons from 2009.

Bailey has been in great form for the opening few months of the premiership and was earmarked as a priority signature by the Sea Eagles who have been keen on signing him for some time.

The 24 year old Inverell junior scored three tries in Newcastle's 38-26 loss to Wests Tigers in Newcastle last Sunday.

Bailey debuted for Newcastle in 2006 and had played 13 games in the NRL prior to the 2007 season. His elder brother Phil Bailey formerly played with Manly and the Northern Eagles before switching to the Cronulla Sharks and Wigan in the English Super League.

"I'm delighted my future beyond this season is now settled. The Knights have been great to me and they will get everything I have for the rest of the season. It was a tough decision to make but the chance to play at Manly where my brother had such wonderful success was a big influence as was the entire set up and professionalism.

"But for now I'm a Knight and I am looking forward to the continuation of the success we have had so far in the premiership," Bailey said.

Bailey's manager Wayne Beavis said the specialist five eighth was sought after by four other clubs as well as the Knights.

Manly coach Des Hasler said he regarded Bailey as an outstanding player.

"He is a talent we have had our eye on for some time. It hasn't been a surprise to us to see the football he has been playing lately.

"We wish him well for the rest of the season with the Knights and look forward to him joining us next season," Hasler said.

http://www.manlyseaeagles.com.au/news.asp?newsid=3212
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NOOOOOOOOO!
 
Hopefully now this gives us more of a chance to develop the Dureau and Mullen combo in FG and maybe even keep Walsh.
 
Untitled23 said:
You're ****ting me.

That's all I can say for now.

:brickwall::brickwall::brickwall:
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**** HIM . OMG I am sooo mad at him now :cry: :frown:
No more Ice Ice Bailey. Well I'll be rooting for scott & Jarrod now, don't even give Bailey another game lol. :noway:
 
Jekk said:
**** HIM . OMG I am sooo mad at him now :cry: :frown:
No more Ice Ice Bailey. Well I'll be rooting for scott & Jarrod now, don't even give Bailey another game lol. :noway:
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I feel that way as well!
But footy is a business these days, all about money. No more loyalty.
 
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Bailey joins Manly
ROBERT DILLON

THE Newcastle Knights can only hope Chris Bailey does not prove to be the one that got away after the in-form five-eighth agreed to terms with Manly yesterday.

Bailey will join the Sea Eagles next season after clinching a three-year deal estimated to be worth about $500,000 virtually double what he had been earning from the Knights.

The 25-year-old was disappointed to be leaving Newcastle but realistically was left with little option. The Knights could not match the concrete offers he had received from Manly and the Bulldogs.

"There was another couple of solid offers on the table, and here there wasn't actually any offer on the table," Bailey said last night. "In the end, it's what I had to do, and I've made that decision.

"I'd love to have stayed in Newcastle and love playing footy here.

"It's a great club, but at this stage of my career . . . to have that security for the next three years is something I haven't had before.

``It gives me a chance to really establish myself in the NRL.''

Bailey has made only 18 NRL appearances since joining the Knights from Nelson Bay in 2006 but has scored five tries in five games this year, including a hat-trick in Sunday's loss to Wests Tigers.

The big question is whether the Knights have allowed a future representative player to slip through their fingers.

Bailey said the prospect of playing in the same backline as Jamie Lyon, Matt Orford, Brett Stewart and Steve Matai was ``definitely a major attraction'' in joining the

2007 runners-up.

``They've got a very strong side and a great coach,'' he said.

``I think it will be a similar sort of place to play footy as Newcastle a sort of a one-team town, if you can call it that and with very loyal supporters.''

Bailey said his goal now was to help the Knights make an impact in the race for the 2008 play-offs.

``I'm 100 per cent committed to the rest of the year here,'' he said.

``We've got a great side here, and I think we can go a long way in this competition. So there's no doubt that for the rest of the year I'll be doing my absolute best for the Knights and trying to help us go as far as we can.''

Manly coach Des Hasler said Bailey was ``a talent we have had our eye on for some time''.

Bailey confirmed that before making his decision he had consulted his older brother, Wigan star Phil Bailey, who started his career at Manly. It is also understood he talked with former Knights teammate Josh Perry, who joined the Sea Eagles this season.

Knights coach Brian Smith said nobody at the club would begrudge Bailey his opportunity at Manly.

``It was a situation where we couldn't make the same sort of [financial] commitment to him that they were willing to,'' Smith said.

``But, on a personal level, I know how hard he's worked and I'm happy for him.''

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$500,000 Over 3 YEARS!

WOW!
 
Seriously, Manly surely over the cap ? can we please get an auditor.

500k is a joke, Manly officials have more cents than brains.
 
For sure.

They were going to offer Carney a 4 year 600k deal.

BAILEY 3 YEARS 500K THATS CRAZY!!
 
Surely some of their guys will be leaving at the end of the year, I really cannot see how they are under the cap.
 
He signed for $500,000 over 3 years (an average of $167,000/year)? If they wanted to, the Knights could've offered him $50,000 over 3 years (an average of $16,000/year more) to keep him.
 
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