Bye Marcus

Bradford Bulls winger Marcus Bai has announced his retirement from the game this morning, leaving the Bulls with immediate effect.








The Papua New Guinean winger, who became so much of a crowd favourite at Melbourne Storm that they unofficially renamed the North East Stand in his honour, leaves Odsal after one year in which he scored 12 tries in 26 appearances.

At 34 years of age, Bai remains the only player to have won the World Club Championship with three different clubs, with Melbourne in 2000, Leeds Rhinos in 2005 and Bradford Bulls in 2006 as well as having joined the select band of players who have won a Grand Final in both Australia and England.

A superb personality on and off the field, the 'no-nonsense' Bai was probably one of the most underrated players of the modern game. With 127 league tries in 245 appearances for Melbourne, Leeds and Bradford, the South-Sea islander boasted a strike record amongst the best in the business and his work ethic and honesty was unquestionable.

Whilst Bai's retirement is a loss to the sport, Bradford will move on. Wingers are scarce on the transfer market at present and so academy winger Andy Smith will see this as a prime opportunity to make the step from the U21's whilst the experience of Marcus St Hilare can also cover the number 2 position.

Whilst Bai might not go down as one of the most well-known players ever to take the field, his name should still be among the modern greats.

Saints Rattle a few Cages

"Fix", "Swindle" were the cries that surrounded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in Birmingham last week.





As St Helens walked away with the Team of the Year and Coach of the Year awards for 2006, some people were not so congratulatory. OK, so Paul Sculthorpe is about as eloquent as an alcoholic on Christmas Eve and Sean Long might have looked entirely out of place surrounded by such sophisticated company but that doesn't detract from the achievements of the St Helens class of 2006.

The BBC have come out and defended the public voting system after various claims of rigging and suggestions that the voting system is open to abuse from Internet campaigns, stating that they will be retaining the voting system that clinched the night's major gong for Zara Phillips as well as seeing St Helens amass just over 67.6% of the public vote for team of the year, well ahead of Sussex County Cricket Club (17.1%) and the Ryder Cup boys (15.2%).

The Ryder cup apologists were distraught. Not only did Darren Clarke not win the individual prize, they were outraged that a European team didn't win the 'British Team of the Year' award by virtue of the fact that they beat an inept bunch of American golfers on a boozy week in Ireland.

So all the while the Southern-centric press start crying on their keyboards and typing with rage, we can sit back safe in the knowledge that the game isn't as 'minority' as those at Fleet Street like to think it is.

Mason Jets to NFL

Aussie cheap-shot merchant Willie Mason has found the perfect solution for off-season boredom.








The Bulldogs forward has jetted off the the States to take part in "non-contact" training with the New York Jets.

Mason, who is contracted at Canterbury until 2008, has made no secret of his desire to try his hand at gridiron will continue to train with the Jets before heading back to Sydney for the Doggie's NRL preparation.

Anyway, - if the Tri-Nations are anything to go by, those Yanks will be thankful of the extra headgear.

Vote Saints

The voting has opened for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year this week and Rugby League has a representative for the first time in I don't know how long.

Treble winners St Helens have made the three-name shortlist for the 'Team of the Year' award, along with the European Ryder Cup team and Sussex County Cricket Club.

To vote for the Saints, text the phrase "Team Saints" to 83199 or alternatively, stay tuned to BBC Radio Five Live (909MW)