Jack Bird was Wayne Bennett’s prize signing for 2018, but after a dismal first season in Brisbane – thanks in large part to shoulder and sternum injuries – his future at the Broncos is in doubt.
Early last season, Bird appeared to be lacking fitness and carrying excess weight, and his performances were not well received. Ultimately, he played at centre, halfback and five-eighth but only managed a total of eight games without a try, line break or try assist.
Bird is now under the watchful eye of a new coach Anthony Seibold, who has him training at left centre.
Rumoured to be on big money, Broncos fans will put plenty of pressure on Bird. He needs to prove he’s worth the pay packet.
Jack Bird of the Broncos (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
As a five-eighth alongside Nathan Cleary at Penrith, Bryce Cartwright produced his best season in 2016, scoring eight tries, with ten line breaks and 77 offloads.
After playing 25 games that year, he played only 14 games in 2017, and moved to the Titans on a big-money deal. It was also seen as a new start, away from the off-field issues that had plagued him.
But in 2018, Cartwright only played 14 games, with no tries, no line breaks and only 14 offloads, seeing him dropped to the Queensland Cup.
However, coach Garth Brennan has been singing Cartwright’s preseason efforts this year, so let’s hope that on-field performances reflect that.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
A fair few forwards get plenty of offloads including Marty Tapau but it's a lot different to putting someone into a hole. It would be good to see a few players emerge with these talents.
Over here
Roar Rookie
a lot of his tries have been from hit ups when he's retrieved the ball and high kicks to his wing
Over here
Roar Rookie
the further you move into the scrum, the less you are required to offload. you mention ian Roberts, most of his time was in the front row. fifita thinks he's a 5/8, but the number on his back says he's a front row. he can offload, but he can also put a lot down. gallen still put a few guys through gaps, the talent is still there
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
Both are examples where media (ie NRL media) triumphed over hype. Sometimes I think some in the"NRL media" are only writing to get their clicks up (and are paid by click) so they can move only the next thing.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I'm sure there are plenty of players that would rather play in another position, even Brisbanes own Lockyer finished his career at 6 after moving there "for the team". But there's a big difference between prefering position x and leaving a club because you're not playing in position x. I'm not sure the Oates example helps your case, he's wanted to play in the back row for going on five years and still just re-signed.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Thank goodness someone invented the cut-out pass
Nat
Roar Guru
It's actually amazing Oates has scored the amount he has considering the Reed, Moga, Opacic/Kahu partners he's had inside.
Greg
Guest
Yeah in November 2018 he pretty much repeated his same comments from 2016, he will do whats best for the team and play centre but he doesn't want to be in that position...add to the fact that Bennett is now gone and I can't see him at the Broncos for the next three years. It could be a case of both him and Oates not happy being stuck out wide. "I spoke to Wayne at the end of the season and I’m pretty sure I will be playing centres … in the short term," Bird said. "I don’t know about long term. Body shapes change, but in the meantime I am going to play centre and I am happy to play centre.
Flexis
Roar Rookie
There’s a more recent interview where he speaks about playing where the team needs him, and that he feels he owes the club and the fans this year. Of course he might feel differently deep down. But why wouldn’t he be looking forward to playing between Oates and Milford. Could be a bumper year for him.
Greg
Guest
I highly doubt he's changed his mind since, all the young guys these days want to play in spine positions, that's where the money is.....at no stage in that interview does he mention playing in the centres........“We did speak about playing in the halves, obviously because Ben Hunt is leaving”......he also says "I also wanted to play under Wayne".
Battler
Roar Rookie
It's a bit rough to compare Bird, who was injured all of last season including the games he played, to Bryce who was fit and just horrible.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Gotta say, I'm looking forward to seeing that left edge of Milf/Bird/Oates with Boyd chiming in. Will we finally see Oates actually getting the ball off someone who can pass?
Emcie
Roar Guru
Come on mate, that was an interview from years ago of a rookie player in his second season of first grade. Here's one from just before he moved to Brissy (https://www.sportingnews.com/au/league/news/jackbird-opens-up-on-why-he-moved-to-the-broncos-sharks-nrl/wgnxxbrx6mv6z62kel7e3ybs)
Greg
Guest
Bird is on the record as saying he doesn't want to play centre: Asked about his transition to the centres, Bird said: "If the team needs me to play somewhere, I'll play it, but it's not my preferred position. When you don't see the ball, it gets pretty boring out there. I like to be around the ball a bit more. Last year when I was playing five-eighth, I really enjoyed that. But we've got two good halves here and I think that's out of the picture. "I think fullback is out of the picture now [too]. What can you do out there? I'll play anywhere the team needs me to be. It's probably not my preferred position and maybe in the future you will see me moving out of the centres hopefully. I don't want to be a long-term centre, but this year I'll do it for the team.
Albo
Roar Rookie
But his value as a rep player was only ever a utility player to cover a number of positions if ever needed. Hence he got little playing time. He is not worth a specialist 's million dollar salary package, in my opinion. And I believe he has been playing out of position his whole NRL career. To me he is a natural backrower, where he made his name in Holden Cup, despite his desire these days to be a halfback ! Without specialising in this best position, he is now at the whim of coaches to be slotted in anywhere, like the utility he now has become.
Big Daddy
Guest
Cronulla squealed like stuck pigs when he left. I bet he's glad he's not there now. Good player if he can recapture SOO form regardless of what position he plays.
Flexis
Roar Rookie
It would make sense if you were right. However Bird has stated his desire to deliver for the broncos, and that he is happy playing centre.
Flexis
Roar Rookie
Agreed. Bird should start with a clean slate this season. But expectations for this season will be set accordingly and based in his ‘17 season. Pressure will be on to hit his straps in the first 5 or so rounds.
Emcie
Roar Guru
That's not entirely true, when he was being courted by clubs he said that'd he'd prefer to be closer to the ball, he also said in an interview when he arrived in Brisbane that his prefered position was lock but that he'd been told by Bennett he'd most likely be playing at left centre so it's not like that's a sudden change. And Bennett moving on has been known about since early last year, if those are the reasons he's supposedly moving on for then they've been on the table for a long time and he hasn't moved yet. At any rate, he seems pretty happy at the moment judging by the preseason reports
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Absolutely. That wasn't a criticism of the Broncos for what they paid, just my opinion that they paid for a rep player but going forward they may get a good player, but not the rep player they hoped for. Kind of like so many Parramatta signings over the last 20 years.... though maybe not quite as bad..