NRL 2021: St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin reveals Jack Bird’s return date and position

Back in full training since Christmas, Jack Bird is ready to take the field for the first time in over 12 months as Dragons coach Anthony Griffin reveals where his star recruit will play.

St George Illawarra's Jack Bird at Dragons training. Source - Dragons Digital

Jack Bird will play his first game in 12 months this week with St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin also revealing what position his big-name recruit will play.

Griffin wants the Dragons marquee off-season recruit to line-up for the Dragons in another restricted trial against Parramatta on Thursday. It will be Bird’s first game since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament just days before the start of the NRL season last year.

Griffin said he would ease Bird back into the action.

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Dragons fans will be their first glimpse of Jack Bird soon.

“He should play about 20-25 minutes,” Griffin said.

“It’s just more about letting him play and we would extend his minutes and let him go in the Charity Shield.

“The plan is start him in the back-row”.

Bird has spent the off-season training between the backrow, centre and the halves. He was slated to play fullback for the Broncos last year.

While he might begin the season off the bench, the Dragons are yet to settle on a centre partner for Zac Lomax.

Anthony Griffin will start Jack Bird in the back row.

Cameron McInnes’ season-ending knee injury also leaves a huge gap in St George Illawarra’s back-row and could fast-track Bird’s return to the starting side.

Griffin said Bird had impressed him.

“He is ready to play,” Griffin said.

“He has done everything he needs to do other than play.

“He has been in full training for nearly a month. He was in rehab, still getting over the injury for probably a month when he started.

Bird missed all of last season.

“He slowly got fed into little bits of conditioning and been back in full training since Christmas.”

He joined St George Illawarra in the off-season on a two-year deal after a raft of injuries during his three-year stint at the Broncos.

The Dragons lost 36-28 to Cronulla on Friday night and will play the Eels before their major pre-season hitout against South Sydney on February 27 in Mudgee.

Originally published as NRL 2021: St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin reveals Jack Bird’s return date and position