Cronulla moves to end Greg Bird's tenure with the club

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Cronulla moves to end Greg Bird's tenure with the club
By Brent Read and Stuart Honeysett
November 26, 2008 CRONULLA's stand-off with Greg Bird is expected to come to an end next week when the club terminates his contract.

Sharks chairman Barry Pierce confirmed he would meet the club's lawyers before a board meeting was called to determine Bird's future.

Unless legal advice suggests otherwise, it would appear Bird's time is coming to an end.

Bird, 24, has been in limbo since being stood down by the club in August after he was charged by police over the alleged glassing of his girlfriend Katie Milligan.

"I just have to talk to the lawyers tomorrow," Pierce said.

"I haven't been in Sydney since last Friday. He went to court last Thursday. He's been on full pay. Now a court case has been set, we'll look at it.

"I don't want it to go to next April from all parties."

Bird's manager Gavin Orr last night said the former Australia five-eighth was desperate to stay at the Sharks and continue his career under Ricky Stuart.

"All his friends, his life and his property are down there and he sees Ricky as a father figure for him," Orr said.

Bird and Orr have been at loggerheads with the club over the decision to stand him down indefinitely while the matter is being heard in the courts.

The pair pointed to the Gold Coast's decision to stand by backrower Anthony Laffranchi after he was charged with an alleged sexual assault at Wests Tigers in 2006. Laffranchi was cleared in court this year.

"At this stage, we're really focused on the legal side of his case at the moment and making sure he clears himself of all the allegations before we look at the football landscape," Orr said.

"If they come to us and say something else then we'll look at it, but at this stage we're just looking at his case."

Bird would be hot property on the open market although the NRL is likely to step in and de-register him if he is sacked.

Should that happen, Bird's only option would be England.

The Sharks have already been linked to former Parramatta halfback Tim Smith, who spent last season at Super League club Wigan.

Should Smith join the Sharks, it would clear the way for Bird to continue his career at Wigan. Bird has also been linked with another Super League club, Hull.

Bird was charged by police with causing grievous bodily harm but this offence was dropped at a court appearance on November 20 following the refusal of Milligan to testify against him.

He still has to answer charges of reckless wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and causing public mischief and giving false representation after allegedly blaming the incident on his flatmate, Brent Watson, at a three-day hearing in April.

[Assassin]

Tim Smith to the Sharks?? That makes Brett Seymores position awefully unstable. I always got the feeling Ricky Stuart just didn't like Brett Seymore or Kimorely, kinda like he inherited them but was always keen to trade them in when he got the chance.