Broncos hope Bird fit for NRL 2018 Rd 1

Nov 2, 2017 - 2:54 AM Brisbane are hopeful star signing Jack Bird will make his Broncos debut in the opening round next year despite undergoing shoulder surgery.

The Broncos confirmed the NSW State of Origin utility would go under the knife for a chronic shoulder complaint on Thursday.

There was speculation ex-Cronulla premiership winner Bird may miss at least the first month of the 2018 season with his new club.

However, the Broncos said they were keeping their fingers crossed Bird would make a full recovery by their first round clash with St George Illawarra on March 8.

"We brought him in for a check-up and we feel surgery is the best option for Jack going forward," Broncos high performance manager Jeremy Hickmans told the Brisbane website.

"We'll know more after the surgery but we're hopeful he'll be ready for round one."

The 22-year-old played the back half of the 2017 season with the injury and scans originally showed the joint could heal without surgery.

But Hickmans said they opted for an operation after Bird continued to suffer pain and most recent scans revealed surgery was the best option for his shoulder ligaments to fully heal long term.

"Jack's biggest concern coming to a new club was being in the best possible shape, and getting an operation wasn't part of that plan," he said.

"But In the long-term it's going to be better for him and that's the conversation we had.

"The good thing with shoulders is you can get running pretty quickly to make sure his running volume and fitness is right for the start of the season."

Source: AAP