Gutted but focused

Broncos coming to terms with Bird’s season-ending injury

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

Bird’s teammates were left “gutted” after the 24-year-old tore his anterior cruciate ligament during training at Red Hill on Wednesday.

The shocking incident came as a huge blow for the club on the eve of the NRL season, so much so that it led 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 the team couldn’t let it disturb their preparation for tonight.

“Obviously we’re a bit shattered for Birdy. He worked so hard and it’s hard to see,” Haas said.

“We were all a bit gutted. I just can’t put it into words, you know.

“Seibs pulled us all in and said we had to focus on our job on Friday. We can’t control what happened and we can only control what we do,” he said.

“We just have to play good footy on Friday.”

Set to undergo surgery for a second reconstruction of the left knee he injured 10 months ago when he snapped his ACL, Bird could be sidelined for up to nine months.

Haas was confident that Bird would not leave the game and would return to the NRL in the future.

“We’re close mates and to see that happen to someone like that, it hurts a lot,” he said.

“As soon as I heard him start yelling, we already knew something was wrong. With Birdy, you can’t keep him down forever.

“He’s always got to stay positive and he’ll be back bigger and stronger.”

In an Instagram post, Bird said he felt like his “whole world” had “come crumbling down”.

“People who know me know how hard I have worked to get to the stage I was at leading into this season, and with that, I’m truly heartbroken that I have to start this process all over again.

“I pray that you guys stick by me through this tough period of my life,” he said.

Picture: GETTY IMAGES Payne Haas says the Broncos are determined not to let Jack Bird’s injury affect their preparation for tonight’s game against the Cowboys.