Jack Bird facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 20 March 1995 Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 96 kg (15 st 2 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Centre, Five-eighth, Second-row, Lock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 31 August 2024
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Jack Bird (born 20 March 1995) is an Australian professional rugby league player. He plays as a centre, five-eighth, or second-row forward. Currently, he plays for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Before joining the Wests Tigers, Jack played for the Brisbane Broncos, St. George Illawarra Dragons, and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. With the Cronulla Sharks, he won the 2016 NRL Grand Final. He has also represented his state and country in various special games. These include playing for New South Wales in the State of Origin series, Country Origin, the Prime Minister's XIII, and the Indigenous All Stars.
Early Life and Junior Career
Jack Bird was born in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. He is of Indigenous Australian background.
He started playing junior rugby league for the Berkeley Eagles. Later, he was signed by the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Playing for the Dragons Youth Team
In 2013 and 2014, Jack played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons' NYC team. He played 37 games and scored 15 tries.
On 3 May 2014, Jack played for the New South Wales under-20s team. They won 30–8 against the Queensland under-20s team.
In September 2014, Jack signed a two-year contract with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. This contract started in 2015. In October 2014, he played for the Junior Kangaroos. They narrowly lost 15–14 to the Junior Kiwis.
NRL Career Highlights
Starting with the Cronulla Sharks (2015-2017)
Jack made his NRL debut for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in round 4 of the 2015 NRL season. He played against the Gold Coast Titans.
In his next game, he played at five-eighth and scored two tries. He helped the Sharks win against the Sydney Roosters. This impressive start led to him being named the Dally M Rookie of the Year in 2015. He played 23 matches and scored 8 tries that year.
Winning the Grand Final (2016)
In 2016, Jack re-signed with the Cronulla Sharks. He played for Country Origin against City Origin.
He also made his debut for New South Wales in the 2016 State of Origin series. He played in two games for the Blues.
On 2 October 2016, Jack played in the 2016 NRL Grand Final for Cronulla. He played at centre and helped his team win 14–12 against the Melbourne Storm. This was a historic victory for the Sharks. He played 26 matches and scored 6 tries in 2016.
Final Year with Sharks (2017)
In February 2017, Jack played for the Indigenous All Stars. He scored a try in their 34–8 win.
In April 2017, it was announced that Jack would join the Brisbane Broncos in 2018. He continued to play for New South Wales in all three State of Origin matches. He finished his last year with the Sharks playing 17 matches and scoring 3 tries. Later in 2017, he played for the Prime Minister's XIII team.
Time with the Brisbane Broncos (2018-2020)
Jack joined the Brisbane Broncos in 2018. He had an existing shoulder injury that needed surgery. He made his club debut in round 3 of the 2018 NRL season.
Unfortunately, his 2018 season was cut short due to ongoing injuries. He only played 8 matches for the Broncos.
Injuries Continue (2019-2020)
Jack returned for the Broncos in round 1 of the 2019 season. He scored his first try for the Broncos in round 3.
However, in round 9, he suffered a serious knee injury (ACL). This injury ended his 2019 season early. He played 9 matches and scored 2 tries.
In March 2020, Jack was ruled out for the entire 2020 NRL season due to another ACL injury. He shared his disappointment, saying he was "truly heartbroken" to face the recovery process again.
Return to St. George Illawarra Dragons (2021-2024)
In November 2020, Jack signed a two-year contract to return to his junior club, the St. George Illawarra Dragons.
He made his debut for the Dragons in round 1 of the 2021 NRL season. He played 22 matches for the club that year.
Later Seasons with Dragons (2022-2024)
In 2022, Jack scored two tries in a game against the Gold Coast Titans. He played 23 games for the Dragons that season.
In 2023, Jack faced some criticism for comments he made about fans. He later apologized for his remarks. He played 14 games for the club that year.
In round 12 of the 2024 NRL season, Jack suffered an ankle injury. On 9 September, he signed a two-year deal to join the Wests Tigers starting in the 2025 NRL season.
Career Statistics
| Season | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
23 | 8 | - | - | 32 |
| 2016 | 26 | 6 | - | - | 24 | |
| 2017 | 17 | 3 | - | - | 12 | |
| 2018 |  Brisbane Broncos |
8 | - | - | - | 0 |
| 2019 | 9 | 2 | - | - | 8 | |
| 2021 |  St. George Illawarra Dragons |
22 | 4 | 6 | - | 28 |
| 2022 | 23 | 7 | 1 | - | 30 | |
| 2023 | 14 | 2 | 1 | - | 10 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 4 | 0 | - | 10 | |
| 2025 |  Wests Tigers |
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| Totals | 156 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 160 |
*denotes season still competing
