Negotiations between returning star Greg Bird and the Gold Coast Titans are all but completed, with the former Shark expected to announce a deal within the next few days.
There was conversation between Birds camp and the Titans for most of yesterday (Thursday) and his current partner is believed to have been involved with talks.
Given current salary cap constraints, it’s believed the Gold Coast have offered Bird a cut-price 1 year deal; with an option for Years 2 and 3 should things work out for both camps.
With his court case behind him and his name in the clear, some were surprised Bird wanted to return to the NRL when big dollars were still on offer in France and the UK.
Other than an early sniff by the Cowboys, no one else really showed too much interest locally in Bird – with most rosters sewn up for the 2010 season.Any concern about singing Bird to the Titans was removed; with Preston Campbell and Mat Rogers suggesting they would act in mentor roles to ensure the star kept on the straight and narrow.
With a roster of quality players, should Bird come on board – most expect Rogers to drift to the centres which could see veteran Campbell or speedster Zillman dropped to the bench. Regardless; Campbell and Rogers believe the star quality of the former NSW rep is unquestionable.
“He’ll be a great asset and he will strengthen our squad,” Rogers confirmed.
“We need a complete squad of players to cover injuries, having Greg Bird solves that.
Rogers believed the Titans’ impressive on and off-field culture would ensure Bird remained in check.
“If you don’t (behave) you won’t be at the Titans,” Rogers confirmed. “That’s the mandate that comes from the top and I think all the players take pride in that and pride in what we’ve started to build here on the Gold Coast.”