Sports Confidential: Dragons reveal plans for Jack Bird, how Sam Burgess can return to NRL
Jack Bird has had more bad luck than most when it comes to injuries, so hopefully he’s not the superstitious type when it comes to the number 13.
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St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin is ready to give Jack Bird the chance to emulate the success of Victor Radley and Cameron Murray by starting him at lock when the season begins.
Bird’s recent career has been beset with injuries but he has enjoyed his first off-season in a long time and his reward will be the chance to find a permanent home in the back row.
Bird would seem an ideal fit for the lock position, which has seemingly become even more valuable under the changes to the rules in recent seasons.
Radley and Murray are the archetypal players in the 13 jersey and Bird offers a similar skill set that could allow him to flourish in the role.
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He would also benefit from finding a permanent home, having spent much of his career moving between centre, five-eighth and the back row.
“With Jack, I have had a couple of good chats with him over the offseason,” Griffin said.
“I would say (he will play) somewhere around the ball, in the back row. Last year he was just doing rehab on his knee and he didn’t do much.
“This year will be his first real offseason for four or five years.”
Pressed on whether he could see Bird playing lock, Griffin said: “Probably around there — bit like a Radley, Murray type of player.
“He can play six as well, which with our young halves there might be a point in the season where we need to throw him in there for a couple of weeks or so.
“Mainly we will be looking at him in that lock area.”
Bird entered the final year of his deal on November 1 and is free to begin talks with rival clubs about the 2023 season. However, it is understood the Dragons have indicated they are keen to keep him and talks have begun between the club and Bird’s camp.
The former NSW player is coming off a solid return to the Dragons, having finally put his injury woes behind him. His talent is without question. His Achilles heel has been injury in recent seasons but there is genuine hope at the Dragons that he has put that in the past.
He will be a key figure this season, albeit in a side that has significantly strengthened over the off-season with the likes of George Burgess, Aaron Woods, Francis Molo and Jaydn Su’A.
“We didn’t have any (middle forwards) last year,” Griffin said in relation to the signing of Burgess, Woods and Molo.
“We had Vaughany (Paul Vaughan) and then he left. Jack was underdone. Blake Lawrie is a good tough kid but we just didn’t have anything around him to help him.
“We stocked up well there and did it well with the cap.”
DOLPHINS ZOOM IN ON EELS BIG GUN
The Dolphins and their recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan are yet to announce any marquee signings but that doesn’t mean they have been twiddling their thumbs.
Confidential understands Dolphins officials have spent the past week on Zooms with a handful of potential targets. Others they have met in person.
On Wednesday, sources suggested the Dolphins held informal talks with Parramatta prop Junior Paulo as they mull over making a move for the NSW forward. O’Sullivan then took Brandon Smith on tour of The Dolphins on Thursday. The Dolphins have also been offered the chance to speak to Cowboys’ pair Reuben Cotter and Tom Gilbert, although the sense is that both are more likely to stay in Townsville.
Brisbane back Jamayne Isaako, who is off contract in less than 12 months, has also been linked with the club although the Dolphins are likely to tread carefully as they look to piece together their roster. O’Sullivan is in no real rush. His mantra is that you can quickly come back from a missed signing, but it takes years to recover from a bad one.
The fledgling club is also wary of being used to drive up prices of players. The biggest fish of all remains Kalyn Ponga, whose price is already sky high.
Ponga would be a huge Dolphins coup, although it will take something special to prise him away from the Knights.
NRL LEAVES DOOR OPEN FOR BURGESS RETURN
Sam Burgess had a close relationship with former NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg. Some suggested they were too close and it coloured Greenberg’s judgement.
As Burgess fights to clear his name and resume his coaching career at South Sydney, Greenberg’s successor Andrew Abdo has said his door is also open if the Rabbitohs legend wants to discuss his situation.
Burgess stood down from his role with Souths when allegations emerged suggesting his lifestyle was out of control. Burgess denied the claims and a police investigation subsequently found he had no case to answer.
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The NRL investigation into the allegations are still ongoing and will only be completed after they gain access to the information that was provided to police.
The good news for Burgess is that Abdo expects the NRL investigation to be completed before the end of the year, meaning he could be free to return to rugby league in 2022.
There is a role at Souths waiting for him, although Burgess’ immediate plan is to coach the Orara Valley Axemen as a way of paying back the support of Souths owner Russell Crowe.
“Obviously the police have made an announcement that they are not taking any criminal action against him,” Abdo said.
“We now have to conclude our investigation which involves getting that information and then we will be in a position to finalise that. I don’t believe there are too many outstanding elements to that so it is something we would like to bring to a close.”
Souths are waiting on the outcome almost as much as Burgess given they believe the former captain is a coach in waiting.
SCOTT’S NRL LIFELINE ON HOLD
The NRL is aware of a complaint against Curtis Scott by his former partner, with the governing body yet to rubber stamp Scott’s return to the NRL. The Eels want to sign Scott to a one-year deal after the club decided to throw a lifeline to the premiership winning centre who was sacked by the Raiders earlier this year.
But that situation was complicated on Thursday afternoon when Wide World of Sports published a story alleging that Scott’s ex-girlfriend had filed a complaint against Scott, claiming he had walked past her house “several times a day”.
Scott denies any wrongdoing.
Those close to Scott said his current partner had lived in the same street for seven years and he often trained and played tennis at the end of the street. He alleges he was filmed by his ex-partner’s family as he walked past to play tennis.
Police Media would not confirm complaints were made by either party because of “privacy reasons”. The NRL is yet to investigate the matter as Scott is not a registered player.
South Sydney, North Queensland and the Tigers considered making a play for the 24-year-old.
Scott will compete with youngster Will Penisini and Waqa Blake for a starting centre spot at the Eels.
MANU HAS ROOSTERS CROWING
Joey Manu will reject interest from the Warriors to ink a contract extension with the Roosters. It is understood Manu, 25, will remain at the Roosters until at least the end of 2024 which will make take him to nine seasons in the top grade at the club.
The Warriors were keen to sign Manu and had promised the million dollar contract left behind by ex-Rooster Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who switched to rugby in the off-season.
Manu was also expected to make a permanent switch to the halves if he joined the Warriors. The transition into the halves at the Roosters will be a few years away yet with Luke Keary returning next season from a serious knee injury while boom teenager Sam Walker is the club’s long-term no.7.
WARRIORS SNARE EEL
The Warriors have secured Marata Niukore on a four-year deal but are prepared to take him a year earlier if the Eels release him. The Warriors have space to accommodate Niukore next year but we are told the Eels have quickly closed the door on that idea. The Eels have made it clear they won’t release any big-name players despite interest from rival clubs.
EMAIL THAT STARTED SMITH FRENZY
The email that kicked off the biggest scramble of the off-season began with the most mild-mannered introduction.
“Good morning, gentleman,” Brandon Smith’s New Zealand-based agent Stan Martin wrote to recruitment bosses and heads of football at the game’s 16 clubs.
The email was sent at 5.59am on November 1, only hours after the window opened for Smith to receive offers from rival clubs.
Martin had made no secret of his plans to take Smith to market and he was clear in his email that he expected his client to receive offers commensurate with his place in the game.
According to Martin, Smith was one of the top 10 players in the NRL last season. He also said Smith wanted to be considered as a starting hooker and any offer was to exclude third-party agreements.
“It’s that time of year to offer Brandon Smith to the market for contract offers for the 2023 season and beyond,” Martin wrote. “Brandon was the Dally M hooker of the year for the 2021 season.
“Given a chance as a hooker, he has excelled in his craft as a hooker and was probably one of the top 10 players in the game for the 2021 season. However, he wants to be a specialist hooker from now on and is looking for a club that will offer him the starting hooker position.
“We are looking for offers commensurate with what he has achieved this year. Also, we will not be considering any offers that include a TPA.
“Please send your offers to me by return email.”
Smith is at the centre of a three-way Queensland bunfight between North Queensland, the Dolphins and the Gold Coast Titans. He is also expected to hold talks with the Sydney Roosters next week before returning to Melbourne to decide his future.
Should he choose the Cowboys, Reece Robson could be an option for the Titans.
If he joins the Dolphins, the Titans’ search for a No.9 will go on. A decision is expected within days and one thing is clear, Melbourne is long odds to convince him to stay with the Storm beyond next season.
GALLEN’S VAX CALL
Paul Gallen says the 20-odd NRL players who have not received their Covid-19 vaccinations must be prepared to give up their contracts.
The Cronulla legend said he’s not in favour of forcing people to get jabbed if they’re resistant, but those players must deal with the consequences.
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t get vaxxed, I’m guided by the views and advice of health experts,” said Gallen, who fights Manly prop Josh Aloiai on December 10.
“In saying that, I don’t believe you should take anything you don’t want to take, but if there’s ramifications to that, you’ve got to deal with it.”
Melbourne prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona is the highest-profile NRL star so far refusing to get the jab, while a number of Canberra, Brisbane and Gold Coast players have also not committed to taking the vaccine.
However, Canterbury’s English star Luke Thompson is now free to train with his teammates after having a Covid-19 vaccination last week.
Thompson made headlines recently after hesitating to have the jab.
But Sport Confidential has learnt Thompson will be clear to resume pre-season training after receiving his first vaccination last week.
JOHNSON IN FIRING LINE
Speculation is mounting that Rugby Australia’s director of rugby, Scott Johnson, will be sacked after the Wallabies’ spring tour. Johnson’s position has come under scrutiny in recent weeks and word is that powerbrokers are ready to move within the next week.
STORM PLANS TO HONOUR SMITH
More than 12 months after Cameron Smith called time on his NRL career, plans are afoot to honour the Melbourne legend with a send off at AAMI Park.
The Storm have been drawn to play last year’s grand finalists South Sydney on a Friday night in round two next season but the likely date to honour Smith is a fortnight later, when Melbourne play the Bulldogs.
The Storm plan to celebrate the 10-year reunion of the 2012 premiership against the Bulldogs on that night. Smith was a member of that team and the club is hopeful he will be allowed to cross the border for the big night.
Smith was unable to make it back to AAMI Park last season due to Covid and family commitments. The hope is that he will be able to do so in 2022.
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