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AT THE age of 16, Bailey Wallace has the next three years mapped out thanks to the confidence shown in him by NRL club St George Illawarra.
Earlier this year the Dragons signed the Leeton Greens junior to a three-year contract that locks him into playing for the club in the under 20s National Youth Competition (NYC) in 2017.
Bailey said signing so far out from actually playing with the club was definitely an advantage, with the Dragons keen for players to remain with their families as long as possible.
"I'll stay down here for two years and finish year 12, then go down to Wollongong," he said.
"St George want you to stay at home, they want you down there for what matters. I'm glad I get to stay another two years.
"It's something off my shoulders. I've always trained for that kind of stuff so I don't have to worry about it.
"What I'm trying to do now is get an apprenticeship. If you're not in an apprenticeship or studying you're not allowed to play under 20s."
The young hooker was selected through his association with the Riverina Academy development side. The coach of that team knew St George Illawarra country recruiter Brian Keegan.
"I wear bright green headgear so I'm pretty noticeable," Bailey said.
"I was playing a game and the coach wanted to introduce me (to Keegan) and he said he liked the way I was playing."
From there he attended a one-day high performance camp, undergoing fitness agility and strengthening tests.
"It just rolled on from there," Bailey said.
He was offered a contract in July and he was locked in with the club from November 1.
Bailey will get a new gym program from the club and attend block training runs, but he is also able to drop into the club at any time if he is in the area.
"They want to see how I improve down here by myself," he said.
"They think that's a big part of going well up there."
A Bulldogs supporter at heart, Bailey's father's family are St George supporters so signing with the combine has gone down well.
"When (Keegan) came out to the house, out the front was my blue car with Bulldogs front seats," Bailey said.
"(St George Illawarra) are pretty good with their juniors. The bloke I signed with, every one that has signed with him has played at least one year of under 20s."
In the 2014 season Bailey primarily played under 16s for the Leeton Greens, with a couple of appearances in under 18s. He is hopeful of playing some first grade games this year, but mostly just wants to get on the field and keep improving.
"My kicking would be a bit to improve on," Bailey said.
"My size - I could be a bit heavier. Obviously I'll improve on everything as I go.
"I just want to focus on playing.
"As long as I'm playing good footy down here, it is fine with me. If I'm improving each game then that's good."