Jack Bird set to stay with Sharks, four clubs chase Roberts

JACK Bird is set to stay a Shark while four clubs chase James Roberts as the contract arms race heats up.

Rabbiths vs Sharks

ROOKIE of the year Jack Bird is poised to sign with Cronulla until the end of 2017 while St George Illawarra, Brisbane, Parramatta and Souths are fighting for the signature of James Roberts.

The situation underlines the way the NRL contract system has evolved into an all-year round business of players switching clubs and clubs trading stars.

Signed contracts are often no longer worth the paper they are written on.

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Or in the case of Roberts and the Gold Coast, there’s a loophole to allow the player to get out.

Already this off -season we’ve seen Sam Burgess return to the NRL despite two years to run on an England Rugby Football Union contract and New Zealand international Martin Tapau defect to Manly irrespective of a deal with Wests until the end of 2016.

Then there’s Dylan Walker switching to Manly despite a year to run at Souths, Chris McQueen joining the Gold Coast and Tim Lafai forced from Canterbury-Bankstown to St George Illawarra.

At this time of the year, NRL clubs are no longer only working on who is off-contract at the end of 2016, they are angling at the 2017 list of stars.

That’s players who are off-contract two years in advance.

Like rookie Tigers halves Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses, who have featured prominently in forward-planning discussions at Penrith and St George Illawarra.

What clubs look for is multi-layered; they start by identifying talent in the positions where they are weaker, work through the options, identify clubs who may be about to feel the pinch of salary cap pressure and then make their plays.

Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses have been shopped around by

By the same token, clubs are looking to off-load unwanted players to ensure they can land the big-name signings they desire and still remain within the salary cap.

The 2017 off-contract list is an extremely strong line-up, containing names like Shaun Johnson, Josh Dugan, Blake Ferguson, Will Chambers, Darius Boyd, Gareth Widdop, Ben Hunt, Aaron Woods and Andrew McCullough.

Sydney Roosters NSW Origin backrower Boyd Cordner, off contract at the end of next season, has already attracted numerous expressions of interest including from the Newcastle Knights.

Originally published as Jack Bird set to stay with Sharks, four clubs chase Roberts