Bird likely to stay at No. 6

BRISBANE is considering retaining star recruit Jack Bird in the halves despite coach Wayne Bennett repeatedly guaranteeing Kodi Nikorima the halfback role for the rest of the NRL season.

Bird trained alongside Anthony Milford at the Brisbane scrumbase yesterday, suggesting the pair would start Friday’s clash with Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium.

In the absence of Nikorima because of a thigh injury, Bird and Milford sparked the Broncos as they inflicted the Warriors’ first loss of the year on the weekend. Bennett faces a dilemma whether to retain a winning side or bring back Nikorima, for whom he has expressed unwavering support.

“Birdy went really well and it’s going to be a really hard decision for the coach,” backrower Alex Glenn said.

“With two great selections there, it’s great for us.”

Milford and Nikorima were widely criticised after the side’s slow start and their inability to register a try assist in the first five rounds. But with Milford and Bird pulling the strings, they looked re-energised and confident, leaving Bennett with a selection dilemma. NZ international Nikorima could be used as a super sub, a role he has played most of his career. Meanwhile, Josh Reynolds’s tough start to his career at Wests Tigers has continued, with the five-eighth understood to have been ruled out for up to six weeks with a shoulder injury.

Reynolds was injured playing at hooker in his first game for the Tigers in their 38-12 win over Manly on Sunday, but played through towards the end of the match. But he wasn’t named last night to face Newcastle in Tamworth on Saturday, and it’s now believed he will miss at least four weeks of football.

It comes after he sat out the opening five rounds of the competition because of a hamstring injury, suffered in the captain’s run the day before Round 1. The most recent injury will have very little impact on the Tigers’ structure, given Benji Marshall and Luke Brooks have starred in the halves together in the club’s 5-1 start.

AS soon as Le Romain finished the TJ Smith Stakes a fortnight ago trainer Kris Lees knew he was back on track for Saturday’s $600,000 Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick.

Le Romain, who was second in the race last year, finished seventh of 11 to In Her Time when first-up in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) and even though it was well short of his best trip, Lees wanted to see more from him.

It came a fortnight ago when second-up in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) when back at his favourite track on day one of The Championships at Randwick.

He was finishing hard behind star runners Trapeze Artist, Redzel and In Her Time and Lees was given the thumbs up by jockey Glyn Schofield.

“It was good to see him turn it around. He was OK without being overly impressive in The Galaxy, which was way too short for him,” Lees said.

“I was really pleased with his TJ Smith run and this was the race we targeted with him.

“He’s got a terrific Randwick record and he’ll love the trip.”

Lees will also saddle up another Group 1 winner, Clearly Innocent. He’s finished sixth three times this preparation, but has been in a few races where the pace hasn’t suited and ran behind Happy Clapper and the champion Winx in the Canterbury Stakes and George Ryder Stakes.

It’s by far the strongest form reference in Australian racing at the moment.

“He wasn’t that impressive in the George Ryder, but that can happen when Winx is in the field,” Lees said.

“He’ll get a bigger field with a more solid tempo, which will suit him. He just needs a bit of cut in the ground.

“You could make a few excuses for him this preparation and he raced against Winx and Happy Clapper who are the two benchmark horses in the country at the moment.”

Lees said Le Romain is his top pick but said Clearly Innocent was “more than capable” of causing an upset against the race favourite Trapeze Artist.

He’s coming off a scintillating TJ Smith Stakes win and 1400m is arguably his best trip.

“He’s a classy three-yearold who will get a weight advantage and he couldn’t have been more impressive in the TJ so he’s the one to beat,” Lees said. “There’s no real query on Le Romain but it’s looking like a stronger All Aged Stakes than last year and it’s always a good race.”