Bird set to begin as Broncos centre

WAYNE Bennett’s $3 million recruit Jack Bird is set to take centre stage for the Broncos.

Bird is in line to make his Brisbane debut at centre when he recovers from a shoulder reconstruction.

The NSW Origin player has also been talked about as a possible lock, five-eighth or fullback. But the fact Bird’s preseason is being hampered by his comeback from surgery means he will likely come into the team as a centre.

Coach Bennett needs a new centre following the departure of the improved Tautau Moga to Newcastle, and Bird shapes as the man most likely to fill that void. Steve Renouf, one of Brisbane’s greatest centres with 142 tries in 183 games, said Bird could dominate on the edge.

“I don’t mind Jack Bird as a player,” he said.

“He could play anywhere in the backline but it would be great for him to play centre.

“He is really competitive. He doesn’t go half-arsed. He is always 100 per cent.”

Bird, 22, is Brisbane’s star recruit for the 2018 NRL season, having signed a four-year deal to leave Cronulla. His move has been hampered due to a delay surrounding his surgery.