Wests Tigers utility Jack Bird is reportedly expected to remain at the club in 2026.
Bird has been linked with an exit from the joint-venture club in recent times, reportedly being given permission to explore his options for next year as far back as the middle of the year.
It was then reported towards the end of the season that he was going to be involved in a player swap which would have seen Manly Sea Eagles forward Nathan Brown and Bird switch clubs.
It now appears, per a News Corp report, that the move is off the table, and that Bird has committed to remain at the Tigers for the next 12 months.
The 30-year-old is a former State of Origin player, but has struggled for form in recent seasons, playing just 28 games in his final two years at the Dragons, before moving to the Tigers, where he played 17 games in his first season.
Of those 17 games, a majority came off the bench, and Bird lost his spot in the side for the final weeks of the campaign.
But Bird will fight for his place back in Benji Marshall’s 17 throughout 2026 while potentially working out his longer-term future either with or away from the club.
The utility is off-contract at the end of 2026, and will be able to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1 this year.
Whether there will be any NRL interest in Bird beyond the end of next year remains to be seen, but he will likely need an uptick in form and performance this season to warrant it, with the former Shark, Broncos and Dragon now 173 games into his career.
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