Bird injury won’t sidetrack Broncos

THE Broncos are still reeling from the loss of Jack Bird to a season-ending knee injury but the playing group are not allowing it to distract them from tonight’s season opener.

Bird’s teammates have been left “gutted” and “lost for words” after the 24-year-old tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a training drill at Red Hill on Wednesday.

Kiwi international Jamayne Isaako will take Bird’s place in the No. 1 jersey and powerful outside back Herbie Farnworth is expected to come onto the bench. Isaako trained alongside Bird in the fullback position for much of the preseason and will tonight be given the No. 1 role in light of the unfortunate circumstance.

The shocking incident came as a huge blow for the club on the eve of the NRL season, so much so, it forced Broncos coach Anthony Seibold to call an urgent player meeting just moments after it occurred.

The key message: don’t let it distract you on Friday.

Brisbane prop forward Payne Haas said it was heartbreaking to see his good mate go down at training but couldn’t let it disturb their preparation for tonight.

“Obviously we’re a bit shattered for Birdy,” Haas said.

“He worked so hard and it’s hard to see.

“We can’t control what happened and we can only control what we do.

“We just have to play good footy on Friday and get ready for the Cowboys.”

Bird is set to undergo a second reconstruction to the left knee he injured 10 months ago when he snapped his ACL.

He could be sidelined for up to nine months, in what is a massive blow for the Origin ace just days out from their Round 1 game.

Former Broncos and Cowboys star Brent Tate, who retired in 2014 following a fourth knee reconstruction, urged Bird not to make a rash decision on retirement following the devastating injury.

Haas was confident Bird would not leave the game and will return to the NRL in the future. “With Birdy, you can’t keep him down forever.’’