News Broncos told to ‘nick off’ after negotiations for $1m star fall apart

fiordog

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(from news.com.au)

St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin has reportedly told the Broncos to “nick off” as negotiations for $1 million star Jack Bird fell apart this week.

It emerged Wednesday the Dragons have pulled out of negotiations with the Broncos after the club’s bizarre negotiating tactic of giving the Dragons the cold shoulder.
The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie first reported the breakdown and has now told Sky Sports Radio the situation will cost Bird his preferred move back to the Dragons.
The former Cronulla star is reportedly hoping to leave the Broncos with a full season still to run on his contract, reported to be worth $975,000 for 2021, but is at the mercy of the Broncos and Dragons as they negotiate exactly how much the Brisbane club will have to pay of his 2021 salary.


Bird has managed just two tries in 17 games in his three seasons at the Broncos and didn’t play at all in 2020 after injuring his ACL on the eve of Round 1.
It comes after reports last week emerged that suggested the deal would eventually be worked out, despite the Dragons reportedly knocking back the Broncos’ offer to contribute just $200,000 towards Birds’ wages in 2021.
Jack Bird can’t catch a break.

Jack Bird can’t catch a break.Source:AAP

Ritchie, however, said the negotiations now look dead in the water.
“He (Bird) wanted to go to St George. St George were very, very keen. An offer was looming,” Ritchie said on Wednesday.

“St George went to the Broncos with an offer. Clearly the Broncos would have to tip in because he’s on $975,000 next year. They made an offer, the Broncos said no, so St George sat back and waited for the counter offer to come back and they got nothing. Which they found a little strange given that the Broncos were trying to shop Jack Bird around.


“They got a sense the Broncos were being arrogant in their own way, by saying basically, ‘Take him off our hands and he’s all yours’. Well the Dragons are saying, ‘He’s your issue. You’ve signed him. We’re not here to clean up your mess’.
“In the end the hackles went up on Anthony Griffin and he said, ‘You know what, forget about it’ and now all bets are off.
“It’s the first time Anthony Griffin’s been able to tell the Broncos to nick off.”
Griffin was famously sacked by the Broncos in 2014.

According to reports, the Bulldogs are also interested in signing Bird.

If true, I legit hope that no-one takes Bird so that Broncos either have to carry him in their cap or pay full freight. Negotiating like that can really only be done from a position of strength, not when you're trying to find suitors to take him out of your cap.
 

Alan79

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I can't say I've got any sympathy for the Broncos. They took a really expensive punt on Bird after his breakout season and it's really bitten them in the ass.

They're in a position now where I think their only options are to either pay the majority of his contract and allow someone to pick him up for a modestly priced gamble or accept that he's there for the duration of the contract and hope he'll come good.
 

bradyk

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If Broncos get an offer for Bird where someone (from some of the lower teams) is willing to pay 400-500k that's a good offer. If they're expecting anymore they're not going to get rid of him. It'll be similar to the Josh Reynolds situation at the Tigers. I know a lot of fans probably wouldn't want to sign Bird for anymore than 300k (or at all) but there's no point Broncos agreeing that that as it frees up very little and they're still paying too high of a % imo. The Broncos are actually dumb thinking a club would pick Bird up for 800k (only contributing 200k).
 

Psycho Doggie

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What goes around comes around. After the Bonkos activities in making Barba unhappy, and the overall arrogance that they've consistently shown for many years, they have earned no favours from us either.

In reality land clubs are friendly behind the scenes by and large. Strom and Wests did a player swap, clubs loaned players to the Warriors. Clubs help other clubs out because they expect to need a bit of help with something themselves at some point.

But Gus Gould was right when he said bonkos have deep issues that won't be fixed by changing coaches. They don't deserve help right now. They need a major board room and back room overhaul, and they need to get their old boys under control.
 

Scoooby

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Well you can flip bird the bird as we don’t want him, birds the word ha ha ha .!!!!
 

Alan79

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What goes around comes around. After the Bonkos activities in making Barba unhappy, and the overall arrogance that they've consistently shown for many years, they have earned no favours from us either.

In reality land clubs are friendly behind the scenes by and large. Strom and Wests did a player swap, clubs loaned players to the Warriors. Clubs help other clubs out because they expect to need a bit of help with something themselves at some point.

But Gus Gould was right when he said bonkos have deep issues that won't be fixed by changing coaches. They don't deserve help right now. They need a major board room and back room overhaul, and they need to get their old boys under control.
On the Barba train of thought. It's rumoured that they also encouraged Dugan to break enough rules to get sacked. They pretty much had a contract ready for him to sign a day after he did. But Dugan buggered that up by abusing fans on social media and the Broncos changed their target to Barba afterwards.
 

Psycho Doggie

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On the Barba train of thought. It's rumoured that they also encouraged Dugan to break enough rules to get sacked. They pretty much had a contract ready for him to sign a day after he did. But Dugan buggered that up by abusing fans on social media and the Broncos changed their target to Barba afterwards.
It wouldn't surprise me at all
 

oldpuppy

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Until I saw his pic in that article I honestly forgot what he looked like. Admittedly the Broncos games are frequently on free to air but I do my best to avoid watching them.
 

Wahesh

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Jack Bird, Keiran Foran, Josh Reynolds... very expensive buys for 3 clubs that have been out for most of the 3 years they’ve been signed to their clubs for.
 
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