• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

Dominic Bird signs for the Chiefs

TRF Mr Fish

Your Piscine Overlord
TRF Legend
Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
4,120
Country Flag
New Zealand
Great signing for the Chiefs! Courtesy of http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/699941...om-crusaders-to-sign-twoyear-deal-with-chiefs

All Black lock Dominic Bird is hoping to get his career back on track after signing with the Chiefs for next season.

Dominic Bird has been granted an early release from the Crusaders and will join the Chiefs on a two-year contract, starting next season.

The giant 2.06m lock - the tallest All Black in history - will head north after the ITM Cup season with Canterbury, as he eyes a fresh start to a lagging career.

Bird, 24, featured in just four matches for the Crusaders this season, sitting behind Sam Whitelock, Luke Romano, Jimmy Tupou and Scott Barrett in coach Todd Blackadder's pecking order.

It's been a rather large fall from grace for the man who debuted for the All Blacks against Japan in 2013 after one season of Super Rugby, and then added another test cap against Scotland last year when called in as injury cover.

Bird said there was an understanding between him and the Crusaders, who he was signed with until the end of 2016, that if he was able to go to another franchise where there was more opportunity to play, then he could leave their clutches early.

His partner lives in Hamilton, and with just Brodie Retallick and Michael Allardice as the other locks contracted for the Chiefs (with Matt Symons and Mike FitzGerald both heading to England), Bird recognised an opening. When he made contact, coach Dave Rennie was immediately interested.

"Men of Dominic's dimensions and athleticism are a rarity in our game. That excites us," Rennie said.

"He has impressed us with his attitude, his enthusiasm and his determination to develop his game. He'll fit in well here."

Bird has been able to have a look around the Chiefs' environment a couple of times and said even from the outside he could see there was a great culture there, while he knew he was going to a team who had performed strongly in recent seasons and who had "great coaching".

"I'm really excited about a new chapter, and the chance to stamp my mark," said Waipukurau-born Bird, who has played plenty of rugby with Retallick, including in the world championship-winning New Zealand Under-20 team of 2011.

Despite his struggles this season, Bird reckoned that this was the year he had grown the most as a rugby player.

"It's put me in a real hard spot, and I've had to work extra hard and deal with not being able to play each week, but still training each week and working on my things I need to work on. It's been interesting, to say the least."

Bird acknowledges there are a whole host of things to improve in his game if he wants to get back to his best. He's working on his tackle technique and ball carrying so he can be diverse and not your stock-standard lock. Ironically, with his height being such a great asset, 'lowering body height in collision' has been a work-on that has come from basically every coach.

Bird is now aiming for a big season with Canterbury, and despite missing out on the All Blacks' initial squad or even being one of those extras called in, he is as determined as ever to wear the black jersey again.

"I had a quick chat with Shag [All Blacks coach Steve Hansen] but it was all stuff I'd heard before," he said.

"It has been frustrating the first half of the season's gone the way it has, but I've learnt and I've been given tools now to make sure it does not happen.

"I'm still going to be pushing as hard as I possibly can to make that World Cup squad.

"I'm not done yet at all."
 
Certainly needed it.

Great bit of business by the Chiefs.

Feel for Crusaders though.

I'm a Crusaders fan through and through, but I'm all for players taking the best opportunity available to them, and for NZ rugby to share the playing resources, so the best players get game time. My ITM cup side (the Tasman Makos), have a number of players who have had to take their opportunities with other franchises other than the Crusaders ... I'm just hoping that the Crusaders can find room for some of them in the future.

I can definitely see D.Bird getting lots of game time with the Chiefs.
 
great signing, he's been around a couple of years but he's still only 24 and nowhere near his potential as a lock. I rate him higher than Luke Romano, Jimmy Tupou, Scott Barrett or Even Thrush he's a chance to be in the EC if there is an injury.
I think he has the potential to establish himself as one of NZ's top 4 locks within 2 years. You'd back Bird and Retalick to form a potent combo. They are both similar age and from the same area, locked together for an U20 win.

Blues missed out, they really needed to sign someone like Bird.
 
Last edited:
Chiefs are ganna have a very, very tall second row. Good signing - although if he's after regular gametime the ever rotating Chiefs is an interesting choice as Gear found out.

Wish he went to the Canes, with Thrush gone we could really have used him.
 
Good signing for the Chiefs, need grunt like this in the pack.
 

Latest posts

Top