Bird gets green light to join Dragons

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The Perpignan club swooped for the 25-year-old Bird when his move to Bradford collapsed because he was refused a visa by the British High Commission.

Although he signed a 12-month contract with the Bulls, with an additional two-year option, Bradford were unable to lodge his registration and, therefore, Bird was free to move elsewhere. The Catalans are thought to have secured the necessary paperwork from the French authorities and have been given the go-ahead by the Rugby Football League to complete the deal.

A statement from Red Hall said: "The RFL has indicated that we would accept Greg Bird's registration as a Catalans Dragons player providing all the necessary paperwork is completed by the club."

Bird, who was released by Cronulla in January, found himself in limbo when he was denied a visa because of a pending court case in Sydney.

The player and his manager Chris Orr flew to the south of France last week for a tour of the Catalans club's facilities and to meet with president Bernard Guasch and coach Kevin Walters.

He is thought to have agreed a nine-month contract with the Dragons and could make his Super League debut for them in Saturday's home game against Castleford.

However, Bird may yet find difficulty playing in England. Although the UK Borders Agency have no objection to him playing in France, they say it will be up to individual immigration officers at UK airports to decide whether he is allowed entry into this country.

The Dragons are next due to visit to England for a match at Wakefield on Sunday, March 15.