Troubled Titans star Greg Bird could find a new home with Manly Sea Eagles

SPORT CONFIDENTIAL II: The Sea Eagles are circling Greg Bird, but the troubled NRL star has other issues on his mind as he battles more damaging off-field headlines.

THE Sea Eagles are circling Greg Bird, but the troubled NRL star has other issues on his mind as he battles more damaging off-field headlines.

Bird was already being investigated by the NRL integrity unit for his involvement in an alleged incident at a northern NSW pub last Saturday evening. But Sport Confidential has learned Bird was ejected from a Byron Bay pub just 24 hours before the Brunswick Heads saga, triggering an NRL integrity unit inquiry.

Bird’s time with the Titans could be drawing to a close. Photo: Jerad Williams.

It is believed the integrity unit is aware of Bird’s back-to-back indiscretions and will include details of both pub incidents in its report to the Titans.

A spokesman for The Sticky Wicket Bar in Byron Bay confirmed last night Bird was asked to leave the establishment.

“Greg Bird was here on Friday night. He was asked to leave,” the spokesman said.

“The NRL integrity unit came in to see us and they are onto it.

“It was just Greg who was asked to leave. He never got served a drink because he was too intoxicated so the group weren’t here for very long.”

Manly remain keen to entice Bird to the club, but need to free up some salary cap space to do so.

That may mean Jamie Buhrer, who has played 128 top-grade games for the club, is moved on. Newcastle are keen to pounce on the one-time NSW representative, in what could turn out to be a swap for Knights winger Akuila Uate.

St George Illawarra have also expressed an interest in Buhrer, who still has a year remaining on his contract. After an injury plagued 2015 season, Buhrer recaptured his best form at the back end of this season, and was appointed co-captain during Jamie Lyon’s injury run.

SPORT CONFIDENTIAL: BULLDOGS CLEAROUT

Is it time for an NRL comeback for the footy bad boy?

CARNEY COME BACK?

TODD Carney can expect some probing questions from the NRL should he make a return to Australia.

Carney is now a free agent after leaving English Super League club Catalans, despite re-signing with the club for three years just last year.

Any NRL club that attempts to register Carney would need to prove to the governing body he is a fit and proper person to be part of the game. St George Illawarra demonstrated this with former convict Russell Packer, by having Packer meet with the NRL to demonstrate he had been rehabilitated.

Carney joins Glenn Stewart, Pat Richards, Dave Taylor and Willie Mason in leaving Catalans this year.

FITTLER’S GRAND GESTURE

BRAD Fittler will present a $141,351.62 cheque to Father Chris Riley’s Youth off the Streets at halftime of the Intrust Super Premiership NSW grand final on Sunday. The money raised came from NSWRL’s Hogs for the Homeless Tour, which saw Fittler and a host of ex-NSW players ride their Harley Davidson motorbikes throughout the state.

NO WIN YET IN TAKEOVER TALK

WIN Corporation’s desire to buy 50 per cent of St George Illawarra has hit its first hurdle as negotiations with the NRL stall.

The stumbling block is how WIN will repay the $6.6 million the Dragons owe the NRL.

The NRL has scoffed at WIN’s proposal to repay the debt in contra. That plan would have involved the NRL scaling down the debt in return for advertising slots on the WIN network.

WIN’s recent programming restructure has lessened the NRL’s willingness to play ball.

Footy won’t be back in Parramatta for some time. Pic: Mark Evans.

GAME’S UP FOR PIRTEK

RUGBY league will be played at Pirtek Stadium for the final time on Sunday — but the Parramatta venue will not be demolished until early next year.

The Intrust Super Premiership grand final will take place on Sunday afternoon with Mounties taking on the Illawarra Cutters.

But a stadium spokesman told us any demolition work was still a while off. The new digs are still expected to be completed in time for the 2019 NRL season.

The Cutters will be hoping to upset Mounties, with their halfback Drew Hutchison, keen to play one of his final games in reserve grade before claiming the St George Illawarra No. 7 jumper.

It was interesting coach Paul McGregor was prepared to entertain signing Kieran Foran on Sunday, only for the club to swiftly reject the idea. You have to wonder what pull McGregor now has at the joint. No Foran is only good news for Hutchison.

GIBBO REMEMBERED

FORMER Telegraph journalist Mike Gibsonhas had the Fox Sports newsroom named in his honour. The Mike Gibson Newsroom will be launched on the one-year anniversary of the acclaimed sports broadcaster’s death.

The plaque includes Gibson’s 10 point philosophy on writing and presenting sports news, which was in a letter he wrote to Fox Sports chief executive Patrick Delany.

It will be a daily reminder to everyone in the newsroom about how they report and present news. Gibson hosted The Back Page on Fox for 16 years from 1997, after being the inaugural host of Wide World of Sports. Gibson’s daughter Courtney and brother Chris will attend the unveiling.

NO FORAN TRIBUTE

WE could not help but notice Kieran Foran was left off a video tribute of players who debuted for Parramatta at the Ken Thornett Medal last week.

Anthony Watmough was a no-show. The club anticipated Choc would be there because he featured in a special tribute for out-going players. Luke Kelly and Michael Gordon stood on stage, and club officials had expected Choc would join them.

Seeing Manu Ma’u embrace coach Brad Arthur and then drop three F-bombs was the highlight.

FORAN SIGNS WITH WARRIORS

JOUST ABOUT

In a throwback to yesteryear, the International Jousting Championship will be on at the St Ives Showground on Saturday and Sunday. Fox Sports will be showing it live from 3.30pm on Sunday.

WINGER’S WOES

PENRITH winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniakwas almost a late withdrawal from the Panthers’ finals loss to Canberra after hurting his back in the warm-up. Watene-Zelezniak played but was in discomfort.