Cronulla's Shane Flanagan has hosed down suggestions Jack Bird is unhappy with his coaching style after the star youngster's admission that he is bored at centre.
After being beaten out by Ben Barba for the Sharks' No.1 jumper this NRL season, Bird said he was frustrated at not getting enough ball playing at centre over the opening six rounds.
The 21-year-old won the Dally M rookie of the year in 2015 after proving a surprise star in the unfamiliar position of five-eighth but was forced out of the halves with the arrival of James Maloney and Chad Townsend.
He said he would rather be at fullback, saying this week: "When you don't see the ball, it gets pretty boring out there. I like to be around the ball a bit more. Last year, when I was playing five-eighth, I really enjoyed that."
Flanagan dismissed any suggestion of unease within his ranks, putting Bird's comments down to the impatience of youth.
He said it was up to him to find a way to get Bird into the action more and backed his charge to make his State of Origin debut as early as this year, calling his versatility a rare gift.
"He's not unhappy - that's just Birdy saying 'I'm bored'," Flanagan said.
"That's just a young bloke wanting to be competitive. That was taken a little bit out of context - he said he'd do anything for the team.
"Birdy's learning his trade. He can play six, he can play centre, he can play one.
"Is he made for Origin? He can play anywhere in the backline and the back-row if he has to."
Share
