Under Flanno, a jack of all trades is looking to return to the centres.
Jack Bird has told new Dragons coach Shane Flanagan that he wants to play in the centres next season, as the former NSW Origin utility vows to return to his best under the man with whom he won a premiership at Cronulla.
Bird, who is nearing a return to full contact training following a tough 2023 season marred by shoulder and knee injuries, played in the centres in the Sharks’ 2016 grand final defeat of Melbourne.
However, Bird has been deployed almost exclusively in the forwards – either in the second row or as a lock – for the last two seasons with St George Illawarra, and the 28-year-old has told Flanagan that he would like to return to the centres.
“I’ve played my best footy under Flanno at centre, so that’s where I want to play,” Bird told reporters. “With how my physique is these days, I want to choose my moments.
“Obviously, I haven’t played center in a long time, so I need to practice hard. I feel fast enough to play centre. I’m definitely feeling speedier than I was last year.
While he hasn’t been able to perform any contact training while recovering from shoulder surgery, Bird has participated in ball work and disclosed that he has been working at both center and second-row positions.
With Flanagan mulling moving Zac Lomax to fullback, Bird may play with Tonga international Moses Suli in the centres.
“I have had a few conversations about what my role is going to be and I’m going to have to train hard to make the squad,” Bird told reporters.
“No one is guaranteed a job, so I just have to keep practicing hard and see where I finish up.
“I’ve been training at center and in the back row, but I’d prefer to move away from the forwards.
“Zac has been training at the facility as well, and we’ve been cutting and changing. I believe Zac can play wherever on the field, therefore if I play in the centres, place him in the backrow.
Bird, who played five Origin games in 2016 and 2017, spent two weeks in the NSW Cup after being axed from the NRL club at the end of last season, but he feels Flanagan will bring out the best in him again.
“Last year was the last year. Stuff occurs. It was likely a nice wake-up call. “I want to play first grade; I do not want to play reserve grade,” he stated.
“I think I’m in first grade and getting dropped back there… perhaps this year will be a better year for myself and the team, and I believe Flanno can bring out the best in me so I don’t get dropped again.
“I like being trained by Flanno. It has been refreshing. Flanno and I get along fairly well; we can talk, laugh, and he doesn’t put up with nonsense.
“You can’t stuff around with Flanno, he’ll get up you – especially me, he gets up me all the time.”
When asked if he could reclaim his peak form, Bird replied: “I believe I can. Not many people believe I can, but you have to believe in yourself, and I feel I can return to my best, if not better.”
While he has played 61 games for the Red V in three seasons, Bird is still dealing with the aftermath of major knee ailments that have limited him to only 17 Broncos appearances in three years.
Bird had a clean-out prior to the start of last season, but from Round 10 onwards, he experienced persistent pain in both knees.
“They’re still a little bit sore but compared to last year, we’ve come a long way,” he added.
“When I run, they no longer ache. Last year, they ached. My knees were fine up until Magic Round, but when we played Cowboys, both of my knees began to pain at the same moment.
“It was bizarre. It could have been arthritis. I have to be active. I haven’t had full contact yet due to the shoulder, but I’ve done a lot of ball work.
“I hope to contact you right before Christmas, but I don’t want to rush it. It’s been three and a half months since surgery, and I don’t want to go into the season at 90%.
