Bailey oversight silences speculation

Correspondent

Leeds Ryan Bailey has been the subject of speculation as to where he will play next season until Leeds admitted the prop signed a deal last year that will keep him at the club till 2012 and that they forgot to announce it at the time. Speculation had been rife that the prop was possibly due to leave as he was believed to be out of contract at the end of this season. 

Chief Executive Gary Hetherington said “We tend to do our contracts at a similar time, unfortunately for Ryan he has become the ‘forgotten man’ in all the negotiations and we forgot to announce his new contract despite the fact that all the paperwork was lodged with the RFL at the time.”

On the club website Bailey also added “I signed the contract at the start of last season having agreed the deal with Gary Hetherington. I didn’t think too much about it after that and just presumed it had been announced. It wasn’t until recently when people kept asking me if I was leaving that I realised.”

“To be honest, it was nice to have people telling me that they wanted me to stay. I have been at Leeds all my rugby career and it is the best club in the world. I had no intention of leaving, this year or last year but it is nice to keep people guessing.”