Jack Bird could be on his way back to the Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues fold, according to True Blue Luke Lewis, but this time as a forward.
The 26-year-old played five Origin games in 2016-2017 – all off the bench as a centre-halves utility.
After playing centre and five-eighth at the Sharks and then the Broncos, Bird returned to his Wollongong roots last season where he played four of 22 games for the Dragons in the backrow.
In 2022 he started for St George Illawarra as a left-edge backrower scoring the Dragons second try in the 28-16 win over the Warriors in Round One, while making 11 runs for 97 metres, two tackle-busts, a line break and 22 tackles.
Lewis told Behind Blue Eyes for nswrl.com.au that he felt backrow was Bird’s position. The pair were part of the 2016 NRL premiership-winning Sharks side.
“I love Birdy he’s a champion bloke on an off the field,” Lewis said.
“He’s got a bit of raw aggression but what I’m liking at the moment is that he’s running a real hard line, he gets involved, gets the ball in his hands.
“You need to see Jack Bird with the ball in his hands. Out in the centres sometimes he gets lost or the game doesn’t come to him.
“I like the way that he played for the Dragons in the backrow and I think he can make a real stake in the football game by playing in the back row. He can be a great backrower.
“I think Jack could play backrow for NSW and Australia if he really works on his game in the back row. Fingers crossed he keeps getting better week-in, week-out.”
Bird was a member of the 2017 Prime Minister’s XIII who enjoyed a 48-8 win over Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby. He wore the No.6 jersey then but has not played for Australia.
His other representative jerseys are for NSW Country (two games at halfback) and the 2017 Indigenous All Stars team (centre).
