Bird's eye view: Jack studies RTS, Teddy footage for fullback switch

Jack Bird has been studying vision of James Tedesco and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck as he prepares to make the transition to the fullback position full-time for the Broncos.

Bird, who played three games of fullback in 2017 at the Sharks, will line up opposite former Cronulla teammate Valentine Holmes on Friday night in Townsville.

He is ready to embrace the move after starring in three trials for Brisbane and getting himself in the shape required to deal with the extra running he will need to do.

"I have done a bit of film on Teddy and RTS as well so I have looked at two elite fullbacks there. I’ve tried to take a leaf out of their book and see what they do and how they set up their plays," Bird said after playing mostly at centre in his two disrupted seasons at Brisbane.

"They are always there and moving forward and never give up on any play. 

"They are two of the best fullbacks of the modern era so it is hard to take a big leaf out of their book because they are so good at what they do.

"Obviously. I am not there yet … but I have to just working hard and the more time I get there the better I will be.

"At fullback there’s a bit more running but I do enjoy it. I had to get my body in good shape to play there. I’ve shed five kilos and I’m back to 91 kilos.

"When I was at the Sharks in my first year I was playing at 91, 92 [kilos]. I was a bit younger then and you put on weight as you get older but it is probably the leanest I’ve been and the fittest I’ve felt."

Bird said he trained the full 2016 pre-season at fullback at Cronulla before he suggested to coach Shane Flanagan that Ben Barba would be better suited to the position for the team.

While his pre-season goal was to just get back on the field after missing most of last year with an ACL injury, he had planted the fullback seed in coach Anthony Seibold’s mind.

"I started the pre-season at centre and out of the blue Seibs came up to me and asked me how I’d enjoy playing fullback," he said.

"It struck me a little bit because I didn’t think he was going to give me a shot because I’d tried speaking previously to him about it and he said no.

"For Seibs to put that belief in me after coming back from an ACL injury and putting me at fullback, I’ve got to thank him. I’ve been training pretty well there in the pre-season."

After playing 17 games for Brisbane in two seasons, Bird is determined to let nothing stop him showcasing the form that won him a NSW jersey in 2016.

"It was tough coming back from the injuries, especially the ACL because I felt good and was playing decent footy," he said.

"My first year here was a write-off. I came here [after] shoulder surgery and my sternum didn’t go to plan. I think the ACL struck me harder because I was back on my feet and enjoying footy again and I was happy.

"One thing about me is that I am pretty resilient and I will never give up. Nothing is going to stop me from playing the game I love."

Bird is sporting a haircut that has mullet undertones but is definitely unique to him.

It is a regular topic of conversation at Red Hill. At first he said he was "bringing Sydney to Brissie" before changing his mind and asserting it was more of a Wollongong style.

He won’t be cutting it until at least the end of May though.

"No one up here has good hair like this. Only out in the bush," he grinned.

"I haven’t got past round 10 the last two years so once I get past round 10 without an injury, I’ll cut it."