The Wests Tigers have released Jack Bird from the final year of his contract to make the switch to Super League side Leeds Rhinos effective immediately.
Code Sports reported Bird has signed a deal with Leeds under former Eels coach Brad Arthur, cutting short his two year deal with the Tigers.
Bird had been linked with a swap deal with Manly forward Nathan Brown, but that fell over at the final hurdle.
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The 30-year-old had been in talks with the London Broncos, but will instead join Leeds.
The versatile centre and back-rower recently attended the Tigers season launch, but is expected to start with the Rhinos in the coming weeks.
Bird fell out of favour with the Tigers midway through the 2025 season, and was not selected for their final six games, before being given permission to leave at the end of the year.
Bird has scored 36 tries in 173 games for the Sharks, Broncos, Dragons and Tigers since his debut in 2015 and won a title with Cronulla in 2016.
He has also played five Origins for NSW, but his representative career was stalled by some brutal injury setbacks at the Broncos.
VETERAN DRAGONS PLAYMAKER IN TALKS OVER EXTENSION
Veteran hooker Damien Cook is set to extend his NRL career past his 36th birthday with the St George Illawarra Dragons opening talks over a contract extension.
Code Sports reported the Dragons and Cook have commenced contract negotiations on a new deal that would tie him to the club until the end of the 2027 season.
Cook is off-contract at the end of the 2026 season and has been free to negotiate with rivals from November 1.
However, it was assumed 2026 would be Cook’s last before hanging up the boots after his two-year deal with the Dragons ended following a switch from the Rabbitohs.
But the 34-year-old is keen to play on and emulate Storm legend Cameron Smith as one of the few hookers to play past the age of 36, given the demands of the position.
Turning 35 in June, Cook has scored 36 tries in 240 games for the Dragons, Bulldogs and Rabbitohs since his debut in 2013 and played in a Grand Final with Souths in 2021.
Cook has also scored three tries in 17 Origins for the Blues and one try in four Tests for the Kangaroos in a glittering career, but a coveted premiership has eluded him.
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The speedy rake played all 24 games for the Dragons last season sharing the hooker duties with Jacob Liddle and switching between No.9 and lock.
One of the incumbent co-captains of the Dragons with Clint Gutherson, Cook has been a real leader on and off the field for the young Dragons side and is a favourite of coach Shane Flanagan.
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‘Only question is where Sharpe fits in’ | 06:14
Flanagan sees Cook’s experience and leadership as vital to rebuilding the Dragons into a premiership force, given the young squad he has at his disposal.
Despite the damnds of his position, Cook has played 23 games or more a season for the last nine years, which has given the Dragons confidence he can play into his late 30s.
Anderson ready to lock down position | 02:39
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