Jack Bird

[getsmarty]

NRL 2015: New Cronulla recruit Jack Bird favours backline gig

• Adrian Warren
• AAP
• December 12, 2014 11:04AM

BOOM Cronulla recruit Jack Bird wants to take his blossoming career forward by playing in the backline.The highly regarded NSW under 20 and Junior Kangaroos utility has joined the Sharks after several seasons in the junior ranks with their area rivals St George Illawarra.Versatile Bird 19, played in both the forwards and backs as a junior, but has expressed a preference for the latter, as he attempts to cement a spot in the Sharks side.“I did play a bit in the forwards when I was younger coming up through the ranks but I do have a preference and it is in the backs somewhere,” Bird said.
“Either at centre, fullback or five-eighth, I’ll slot in anywhere ... but I don’t see myself as a forward.”It looks a smart decision given the Sharks boast plenty of forward firepower, including Paul Gallen, Luke Lewis, Andrew Fifita, Michael Ennis, Anthony Tupou and Chris Heighington.Not that earning a backline spot will be a doddle.Fellow recruit Ben Barba is expected to get first crack at the five-eighth jersey vacated by Todd Carney’s departure and Michael Gordon is firmly entrenched at fullback.While he has a minor shoulder injury, Bird is almost certain to make his Cronulla debut in next month’s Nines tournament.
Origin game.Helping Bird settle at the Sharks has been the recent arrival at the club of several familiar faces from the Dragons.Kyle Stanley and Gerard Beale were late additions to the roster, while former Dragons head coach Steve Price was recently appointed as an assistant to Cronulla head coach Shane Flanagan.“Having them around has made it a bit more comfortable for me and everything has gone well so far,” Bird said.“I signed with them (St George Illawarra) since I was 13, so it was hard for me to leave, but it was just a stepping stone in life, I guess.

“It’s a big step and I just wanted to experience new things, so that was the reason why I moved.”
Last season’s wooden spooners have recruited well and are tipped to improve significantly after a tough 2014 off the field as well, where they had to contend with the ASADA supplements investigation.
“I think the boys are over it, it’s a new start for us all,” Bird said.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...urs-backline-gig/story-fni3gol8-1227153613262

 

[God-King Dean]

Imagine if he turned out to be a great player, & scored a hattrick against us, & won a premiership with Cronulla.

That'd be so cool.

 

[64 Dragon]

Hey Smarty, what's this article doing on here. Bird is a Cronulla player. Take it over there.

 

[bottle]

It's in preparation for the backflip 64.

 

[64 Dragon]

Of course. My bad.

 

[Dragon66]

At this stage Jack Bird is just a player with potential. Nothing more. I hope he is successful but going to the Shire was his choice, not the fault of our club. Time will tell if he can translate his talent to the level needed in the NRL. Plenty of similar players haven't.

 

[Saint Anger]

Backflip coming along nicely.

 

[tumbidragon]

Imagine if he turned out to be a great player, & scored a hattrick against us, & won a premiership with Cronulla.

That'd be so cool.

:lol:
That big pie in the sky dream for nulla-nada.

 

[matPORTS]

Maybe Jack will become our next Beau Scott? Go to the Sharks for 2-3 years to cut his teeth, pushing for regular first grade. Then come home and be pivotal member of our forward pack for several years to come.

 

[64 Dragon]

Maybe Jack will become our next Beau Scott? Go to the Sharks for 2-3 years to cut his teeth, pushing for regular first grade. Then come home and be pivotal member of our forward pack for several years to come.

And win a Premiership?

 

[Dragon66]

Love the way you think!

 

[7Seven7]

Bird is a talent.
Shame we let him go, but what do you ?
He can play virtually anywhere in the backline, and will end up being a top notch edge forward.

 

[Steelman]

I can tell u there will be no backflip
another badly managed junior by the dragons who
along with his good mate J Hastings wanted to stay.
Im hopeful the Mulhoulland watch will turn this worrying
trend around....

 

[Slippery Morris]

Maybe Adam Tuimavave-Gerard who we bought from the Warriors who plays similar to Bird and who has won a GF with the Warriors may turn out better. So far he has won more silverware and I think scored more tries that Bird so he can't be that bad. Lets not dwell on Bird and be more excited about this bloke as he is wearing the red V next season not Bird.

Saints holding onto these "Potential" superstars has got them nowhere e.g Evander Cummins, Hastings, etc.

The only 2 that really got away were JMoz and Dean Whare but the Saints had Gaz and Coops back then so if they let go of Coops or Gaz and held onto JMoz or Whare people would have gone ape just like they are now with BMoz. If Saints held onto BMoz we would lose Dufty or Aitken.

 

[Steelman]

Maybe Adam Tuimavave-Gerard who we bought from the Warriors who plays similar to Bird and who has won a GF with the Warriors may turn out better. So far he has won more silverware and I think scored more tries that Bird so he can't be that bad. Lets not dwell on Bird and be more excited about this bloke as he is wearing the red V next season not Bird.

Saints holding onto these "Potential" superstars has got them nowhere e.g Evander Cummins, Hastings, etc.

The only 2 that really got away were JMoz and Dean Whare but the Saints had Gaz and Coops back then so if they let go of Coops or Gaz and held onto JMoz or Whare people would have gone ape just like they are now with BMoz. If Saints held onto BMoz we would lose Dufty or Aitken.

 

[coast_dragons]

Hastings was happy to go from the guys own mouth also wasn't like by alot of the players in the under 20's who thought is was a big head.

Bird could have stayed but decided to go thats just the way it is.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Exactly Bird decided to go and Adam Gerard-Tuimavave wanted to come to the club. So get behind Adam and don't worry about Jack. He is now a Shark.

I have heard some Warriors fans speak highly of Adam just like some here speak of Bird. Time will tell who is the better player.

 

[BrissyRedV]

Exactly Bird decided to go and Adam Gerard-Tuimavave wanted to come to the club. So get behind Adam and don't worry about Jack. He is now a Shark.

I have heard some Warriors fans speak highly of Adam just like some here speak of Bird. Time will tell who is the better player.

Tuimavave Gerrard has the better frame for the position we want one of them to play. He has the skill and talent to be a success just needs to add some size. If we wanted bird for the backline we have plenty coming through like aitken, Runciman, Thompson and Dufty to fill that role.

 

[possm]

Exactly Bird decided to go and Adam Gerard-Tuimavave wanted to come to the club. So get behind Adam and don't worry about Jack. He is now a Shark.

I have heard some Warriors fans speak highly of Adam just like some here speak of Bird. Time will tell who is the better player.

Bird and Hastings were/are dissatisfied junior Dragons. They both made their feelings public and were offered and accepted contracts with other Clubs who seized the opportunity to snap up promising juniors.

Our Club needs to investigate the circumstances related to the non-retension of these players and put in place policy that wll LIMIT such situations happening in the future. Our Club spends a lot of money each year developing juniors and so, we should be able to keep the players we want to keep.

I don't know all the facts however from what I understand, Hastings was always going to go to the Roosters (mainly due to his father?s connection to that Club) and so, he should have be let go much earlier in his development years. This would make way for a more loyal and highly talanted Dragon's junior.

Bird had off field problems regarding support for his family and experienced very tough times. He asked his Club for help and was denied the assistance he needed. Surely a solution could have been found to help him and his family; even if it included provisions for repayment in later years.

 

[Cagey Mac]

Your third paragraph appears to be at odds with your first Poss.
I think that that the new recruitment and retention team will give the board (at least) a pretty naked appraisal of the practices of the immediate past. If nothing else, it's in their own best interest.