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The Brisbane Broncos have been dealt a massive blow just two days out from their NRL season opener against the North Queensland Cowboys, with Jack Bird tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee at a training session.
- Jack Bird tore the ACL in his left knee and is likely to undergo surgery
- Bird had also sustained a season-ending ACL tear in the same knee last year
- He has been restricted to just 17 appearances for the Broncos since moving from the Sharks ahead of the 2018 season
Moments after Broncos coach Anthony Seibold saluted Bird's triumphant return to full fitness, Bird's knee buckled underneath him in a tackle at the training session at the club's Red Hill base in Brisbane.
It was the same knee that required a reconstruction after Bird broke down in round nine last year and he is expected to miss the entire NRL season after an ACL tear was confirmed following an MRI scan.
Bird, who was named to start at full-back against the Cowboys in Townsville on Friday night, will see a specialist, with surgery the most likely option.
"Rugby league is a cruel game sometimes," Seibold said in a statement.
"Jack's commitment to his rehabilitation has been unwavering in his return from his last knee injury. He has had a tremendous preseason and ticked all the boxes required for a great start to the year.
"He had trialled really well in the full-back position and was excited to be playing in the first game of the season.
"All of his teammates and the staff at the Broncos are devastated at the timing and nature of the injury."
The training mishap is set to extend a disastrous run for Bird, who has played just 17 matches since moving from Cronulla to the Broncos ahead of the 2018 season.
His first season was sabotaged by shoulder and sternum injuries, before the season-ending ACL tear in 2019.
Prior to today's training session, Seibold said the New South Wales State of Origin representative — who was a member of the Sharks' historic 2016 premiership squad — was set to play a key role in the Broncos' plans this season.
"He's really important to us. In some ways he is like a new recruit for us," Seibold said.
Jamayne Isaako — initially set to come off the interchange bench — is now set to play full-back against the Cowboys.
It is another injury blow for the Broncos, who are without prop Matt Lodge (knee) and new captain Alex Glenn (hamstring) for the Cowboys encounter.
Broncos debutant Brodie Croft and 19-match forward Pat Carrigan will act as co-captains in the absence of Glenn.
AAP/ABC
Topics: sport, rugby-league, nrl, red-hill-4059
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