I have noted of late that some of our guests from over t`ills have been ranting to the point of hysteria with a note of blind hypocrisy.

Is this just something our excitable neighbours are just genetically prone too ????

To be fair I think the hysteria spread like knotweed evenly between the two camps. For each insane rambling from a St Helens fan that Bailey should be banned, there was an equally insane rant from a chufty banging Leeds fan suggesting Bailey had a good game or that he is generally a good player.

I think the rest of Super League should bring the popcorn when they watch the Cup game as there will be no need for any movies that day, as the action will go off on the beeb live from Headingly. If Saints are able to put a competitive squad out (I know our paper thin squad is our fault before you point that out) it could be one of the best atmospheres at a game ever. I've not looked forward to a game this much in years.

I think we should start a book on how quickly the first brawl will begin.

Bailey usually comes in after about half an hour. I'd say 36 mins

And there is the rub. There's nothing insane about that. He is generally a good player.

that may not be your opinion but its' mine. Its' also Brian McLennan, Tony Smith and Brian Nobles'.

The ranting about his alleged foul play was hysterical and insane but opinions about his abilities are opinions.

It's also worth adding that (at least most of) the Leeds fans have only said that Bailey is a "good player" and a valued member of Leeds' first 17...no one has been saying he's the greatest prop forward in the game or a world beater

I agree with that.

Baiey has improved this year though and is looking a bit more like his younger self. He doesnt trot in as much any more and 90% of the time finds his front and makes a few meters.

Thing people have to realise though is that he is only 25 and wont reach his best for a few years yet. Not everyone is like the Burgess' and can make an impact at a young age.

Talking about bailey being banned for a legal challenge is insane.

People opining that they think Bailey is a good player is not.

You can't compare the two; one makes sense, the other doesn't.

The people who are saying Bailey should be banned are the same people whom jizz in their pants whenever they see SBW's hit on him, which unlike Mary Bailey got straight up from.

Burgess could well be finished by the time he's Baileys age.

Graham needs to make sure he builds his legs up at the same rate he's built his upper body or his knees will be feked within 5 years.

i think some people were just shocked at the impact, we dont see to many over here. its not illegal but i do think it should be made illegal (shoulder contact to the face) however much i enjoy seeing it.

bailey is back playing his best, and its good to see as he seems to be concentrating more on his game than the 'other stuff'. england call up if he keeps it up? i wonder...

I always remember Morley getting banned in the NRL for a shoulder to face tackle. That was when Ricky Stewart said he was only banned because "He's Adrian Morley" IIRC

For mine Bailey is a good player.to quote McClennan Bailey is an enforcer who upsets people.

There's a basic lack of common sense or appreciation of the true nature of a fan being shown here.... As fans we scrutinise what our team does far more carefully and indepth than we do with other team's players - it may be subconscious, but it's a fact nonetheless. Obviously, in flashpoint situations which are replayed over and over again, we then pay more attention to other team's players, but quite often we miss the quiet, unheralded things they do.

For this reason, every club has its unsung players - those players that the club's fans will notice, but opposition fans who don't see them week in week out don't. For a few years, JJB was a perfect example of this - quietly and unspectacularly going about doing a lot of hard work. Now of course he gets the deserved recognition for this. Bailey is a prime example of someone who puts in a lot of work and doesn't often get any recognition for it. Instead, opposition fans focus purely on a few flash point situations and base their opinion of him solely on that.

Fans who see Bailey avery week (well, those who have some degree of common sense anyway...) see Bailey as a damn good player, who has been in 3 Grand Final winning teams and 2 world club championship winning teams, and over this period has been picked on a regular basis by two of the best coaches in the game at the moment (as well as being picked to play at international level by the most successful British coach in the Super League era). Opposition fans see him as a thug. Which of the two opinions carries the most weight I wonder......

beautifully put.