Greg Bird released by Gold Coast Titans

GREG Bird has been granted an immediate release by the Gold Coast Titans to sign a $2.5m five-year deal with Super League club Catalans.

GREG Bird’s turbulent NRL career is over with his departure from the Gold Coast paving the way for the Titans to pounce on Kiwi Test star Kevin Proctor.

Bird was released by the Titans on Wednesday night to sign a $2.5 million five-year deal with Super League outfit Catalans.

Bird’s decision to fly the coup came as he was facing pressure from the Titans over a number of alcohol-related incidents at northern NSW pubs last month.

The 32-year-old’s management orchestrated the rich deal with the French club and the Titans agreed to release Bird from the final year of his contract.

It was effectively a win for all parties.

Bird’s time with the Titans has been stained with controversy. Photo Adam Armstrong

Titans powerbrokers had grown tired of Bird’s off-field behaviour stemming back to 2014 when he was stripped of the club’s co-captaincy for urinating in public.

In 2015 he was one of a number of Titans players embroiled in a cocaine scandal. Bird’s charges were later thrown out in court.

Bird, who is holidaying in Bali, will return to the club he played for in 2009 when he briefly left the NRL following the glassing controversy he was later acquitted of.

The 234-game NRL veteran will play for three years before taking up an assistant coaching role in the final two years of his contract.

“I had always intended to return to the Dragons and promised Bernard (Guasch, chairman) I would come back and win a premiership,” Bird said.

“They reached out to me and offered me a long term deal this week, which I was only to happy to agree to.

“I have fond memories of my time at the Dragons. It’s a wonderful place to live and my wife and I are excited to be taking on this new chapter in our lives.”

Bird is looking forward to returning to life in southern France.

Bird’s departure has freed up $500,000 in the Gold Coast’s salary cap which will be used to snare Proctor from Melbourne.

The Storm are expected to grant the Palm Beach Currumbin product a release from the final two years of his contract on compassionate grounds to return to the Gold Coast.

The Titans have lost more than 1000 games of NRL experience this season with Luke Douglas, Nathan Friend, David Mead, Josh Hoffman and Bird leaving the club.

Coach Neil Henry is on the hunt for cut-price forwards to join his squad with the Titans expected to add up to four more players to their roster before the 2017 season.