I know ESL has a much more leniant stance on crims playing the game but I didn't realise Bird was actually still playing! Surely having been found guilty and sentenced to 9 months for glassing a woman, pending appeal, he shouldn't be sullying the name of RL should he?

And if his appeal finds him not guilty, are you going to pay the RFLs legal fees when he sues for restraint of trade?

HE'S appealing the sentence not the offence surely?

He is not subject to British law by being employed in France.

either way he isn't in jail so why can't he play? Don't think he should lose his job until he is actually in jail......especially as he didn't commit any crime in France or UK.
If he was considered a danger they wouldn't have let him out after the sentencing.

No one stopped Chev (and others I can't remember) from playing when they got community service, effectively serving a sentence.

What does it matter? He's done NOTHING in the whole time he's been playing SL

And he doesn't play for St Helens so there is no need for a witch hunt like Leon Pryce received.

I'm surprised that the UK Border Agency let him enter this country for the Dragons' away games given their recent penchant for scrutinising Australian RL players closely.

Wonder if Hock will be allowed to play for the Catalans in the home games.

No IMO he should not be playing.

a wire fan mentioned to me on saturday how could bird play and the likes of eastwood fails a visa for minor driving offences 5 years ago?
couldn't answer the bloke,it's a joke.

I would be miffed if Saints had signed him. And IMHO, no, he shouldn't be playing.

ask the rfl panel news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 181892.stm

ask the rfl panel news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 181892.stm

Personally I couldn’t care less what players do off the pitch as that’s for the legal system to sort out.

because france n uk have different visa rules, and since he doesn't require anything from the uk to play catalans away games, he's good to go. (whether is correct is another matter)

I love the way that some people here just don't get it. They don't get why its a disgrace.

I'm not going to bother telling them why its wrong.

Peter Sutcliffe was a pretty good lorry driver, just like Bird is a good League player.

Until Sutcliffe was found guilty I think he was probably still driving around Yorkshire making deliveries.

where you been . living in a cave

So I'm interested to know what job people think he should be allowed to do?

If he is not in jail ie has been bailed, he has to eat and live somewhere. Why take his career away. He is not a risk to another rugby player or fans by playing rugby.
Is it ok for him to work in a bar if we ban him? He would be around alcohol, glasses and females.....surely a worse situation but unlikely to be stopped by anyone getting the job.

I'm ok with him playing. It's up to the courts to decide his penalty not us. (If I was the judge I would treat him harshly for that crime but I'm not and probably don't know all the facts!)
As his girlfriend is still living with him in France, it makes me wonder why everyone else is treating him more harshly than she is?

cause his an aussie test player

It's called reputation for the game. Whilst I think the witch hunts in the NRL are a bit much it is hard not to feel the games image/reputation isn't tarnished by allowing a bloke who glassed his girlfriend and is likely to spend the next year in jail to be playing in our premier comp. Not exactly a great look!

we were not there. he denied glassing her. she denied it. but you saw it

jb's cave

no but a judge and jury obviously seemed to think he did! or did you miss the guilty verdict??

guilty of what . cave man

FORMER Cronulla Shark Greg Bird faces a four-match ban after being charged with a reckless tackle while playing for Catalans Dragons in the European Super League. Bird was put on report for a challenge on Celtic Crusaders prop Ryan O'Hara in the last minute of the Dragons' 34-0 win in Perpignan on Saturday. The 25-year-old was charged with a grade C offence by the Rugby Football League's match review panel overnight and will have his case heard by their disciplinary committee via a telephone link on Tuesday. The former Cronulla Sharks player www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5757701528

FORMER Cronulla Shark Greg Bird faces a four-match ban after being charged with a reckless tackle while playing for Catalans Dragons in the European Super League. Bird was put on report for a challenge on Celtic Crusaders prop Ryan O'Hara in the last minute of the Dragons' 34-0 win in Perpignan on Saturday. The 25-year-old was charged with a grade C offence by the Rugby Football League's match review panel overnight and will have his case heard by their disciplinary committee via a telephone link on Tuesday. The former Cronulla Sharks player www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5757701528