One of the seven new recruits signed by the Wests Tigers ahead of this season, the tenure of utility Jack Bird is set to come to a close sooner than expected.
Contracted until the end of 2026 on a deal worth around $400,000 a season, The Daily Telegraph is reporting that the Wests Tigers have granted Bird permission to test the market and he is free to depart the club at the end of this season if he can find a new deal elsewhere.
As it stands, another club has yet to express an interest in his services.
The permission for Bird to leave comes as the Tigers look to free up a spot on their Top 30 roster for 2026.
They have signed Ethan Roberts (Roosters), Javon Andrews (Titans), Jock Madden (Broncos), Kai Pearce-Paul (Knights) and Mavrik Geyer (Panthers), as well as extended the contracts of playmaker Adam Doueihi and centre Starford To’a.
Failing to make an impact since he arrived at the Tigers, he has made over 170 first-grade appearances and previously had stints at the Cronulla Sharks, Brisbane Broncos and St George Illawarra Dragons.
Near the final stages of his playing career, the 30-year-old hasn’t been able to recapture the form he once had during the start of his career, when he made five appearances for the NSW Blues between 2016 and 2017.