Jack Bird might have been one of the best players for the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2021, but it doesn't mean the club are about to be held to ransom over his next contract.
It had been originally reported late last week that Bird was testing the open market, a report Dragons' coach Anthony Griffin confirmed following the club's first up trial victory over the Parramatta Eels on Sunday night.
The utility - who can play centre, second row, fullback, lock or in the halves - is reportedly being chased hard by other clubs, and new reports according to The Daily Telegraph suggest talks have now completely stalled between Bird, his manager David Riolo, and the club.
The club - who are preparing to move Jack Bird into the number 13 jumper this season - reportedly decided that with talks stalling, they were no longer prepared to offer Bird a contract.
It's understood they are however prepared to return to the table should the situation change, but in the knowledge the money that is currently on the table may not be there when they return.
Bird signed a cut-price deal with the Dragons following a stint at the Brisbane Broncos which was ruined by injury, seeing him return to his potential as a player which he originally had as a Dragons junior.
The report suggests the Parramatta Eels are now the latest team who could be interested in Bird, while Sunday night's reports suggested Wayne Bennett and the Dolphins were keen on him.
It's unclear how likely a return to Queensland is for Bird, who is established in Sydney.
The Eels have lost big names for 2022, particularly in the second row, with Isaiah Papali'i and Marata Niukore both abandoning the club for the Wests Tigers and New Zealand Warriors respectively, while Ryan Matterson is reportedly yet to be offered a contract for 2023 and beyond as he works his way through concussion problems.
While the Eels and Dolphins are the two clubs most heavily linked, the Wests Tigers have also been named as a potential candidate, while other clubs are watching on.
Bird has played 106 NRL games, having made his debut for the Cronulla Sharks in 2015. He played 67 matches for the Sharks over three years, also representing New South Wales five times, before a stint in Brisbane saw him play 17 matches across 2018 and 2019, with his 2020 season then completely wiped out due to injury.
22 matches with the Dragons last year saw Bird return to fitness - something the club will be sweating on this year as they attempt to reignite their attack in the middle third.
