Championship side swoop for St Helens forward

Championship side Widnes Vikings have announced their latest signing with a former St Helens man arriving at the DCBL Stadium.

Widnes had a strong campaign on the field in 2024 as they surged into the play-offs under Allan Coleman but they’ve been left reeling after their IMG scores took a hit.

The Vikings saw a loss of 1.57 points on their provisional score from 2023 as they hit a middling Grade B of 8.6 points, ranking them 22nd. It’s since been revealed that the size of the club’s press box saw a one-point loss.

Whilst those off-field issues look to be addressed in the off-season, the on-field show goes on and the club have now confirmed the signing of Widnes-born forward and former St Helens man Brett Bailey.

Bailey featured on loan at the DCBL Stadium in 2024 but he has now penned a one-year deal with the Championship outfit after his release from St Helens.

Released St Helens man joins Widnes Vikings

Widnes Vikings confirmed the arrival of Brett Bailey on a permanent deal following his loan spell in 2024, during which he played two times.

He would also play a further eight times in either the Championship or League One for three different clubs as St Helens opted to use the loan system to get Bailey playing time.

Despite that, he was one of the players that the Red Vee did not renew despite him featuring eight times for the Reserves as they won the Grand Final this year.

Bailey started in that Grand Final against Wigan Warriors, getting on the scoresheet after just three minutes as he scored the opening try of the game.

He would crash over after just two minutes with the Red Vee going on to win 24-18 in a game decided by the boot of Will Roberts.

On signing with the Vikings, Bailey said: “I was buzzing to get the option to sign with my hometown club for 2025, I think we’re heading in a really positive direction.

“It’s a new challenge for me, I loved the environment last season and it’s something that I wanted to be part of again.

“I’m really looking forward to the 2025 season. I think we set a standard last season by reaching the playoffs and hopefully this year we can go even further.”

Being Widnes-born was a big positive about Bailey for head coach Allan Coleman, who explained: “Brett Bailey is a good young player who has been in a Super League setup at St Helens.

“He’s a Widnes lad which is vital for me, to get Widnes lads playing in the jersey. He’s a player with a lot of potential, he’s got the build and all the abilities to be a really exciting addition.”