WT have tabled a new three year deal for Sione Fainu, worth $400,000 a season. Fainu has received interest from the Perth Bears for 2027 (Telegraph)
Hope he stays with us (and his brothers) 🤞
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
WT have tabled a new three year deal for Sione Fainu, worth $400,000 a season. Fainu has received interest from the Perth Bears for 2027 (Telegraph)
This makes me incredibly happy
Reports this afternoon that the WT bus could soon be letting Jack Bird off at the next stop.
The Telegraph speculating a deal in the Super League could be on the horizon 🤞
All well and good, but it'll only be a positive move if we use the $$ and roster spot effectively. If it's him or no one for 2026, then we may as well keep him around.
Reports this afternoon that the WT bus could soon be letting Jack Bird off at the next stop.
The Telegraph speculating a deal in the Super League could be on the horizon 🤞
All well and good, but it'll only be a positive move if we use the $$ and roster spot effectively. If it's him or no one for 2026, then we may as well keep him around.
I think his $ could go towards Sione, and his roster spot be taken by Bunty Afoa.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
Around the grounds this morning
- Jack Bird’s time with the Tigers is over, as he is set to sign with Leeds effective immediately
- The Dragons are in talks to extend Damien Cook until the end of 2027
📝 News Corp
Tigers star released to join new club;
Fox League from Fox Sports
January 31st, 2026 10:56 am
The Wests Tigers have released Jack Bird from the final year of his contract to make the switch to Super League side Leeds Rhinos effective immediately.
Code Sports reported Bird has signed a deal with Leeds under former Eels coach Brad Arthur, cutting short his two year deal with the Tigers.
Bird had been linked with a swap deal with Manly forward Nathan Brown, but that fell over at the final hurdle.
The 30-year-old had been in talks with the London Broncos, but will instead join Leeds.
The versatile centre and back-rower recently attended the Tigers season launch, but is expected to start with the Rhinos in the coming weeks.
Bird fell out of favour with the Tigers midway through the 2025 season, and was not selected for their final six games, before being given permission to leave at the end of the year.
Bird has scored 36 tries in 173 games for the Sharks, Broncos, Dragons and Tigers since his debut in 2015 and won a title with Cronulla in 2016.
He has also played five Origins for NSW, but his representative career was stalled by some brutal injury setbacks at the Broncos.
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Tigers star released to join new club;
Fox League from Fox Sports
January 31st, 2026 10:56 am
The Wests Tigers have released Jack Bird from the final year of his contract to make the switch to Super League side Leeds Rhinos effective immediately.
Code Sports reported Bird has signed a deal with Leeds under former Eels coach Brad Arthur, cutting short his two year deal with the Tigers.
Bird had been linked with a swap deal with Manly forward Nathan Brown, but that fell over at the final hurdle.
The 30-year-old had been in talks with the London Broncos, but will instead join Leeds.
The versatile centre and back-rower recently attended the Tigers season launch, but is expected to start with the Rhinos in the coming weeks.
Bird fell out of favour with the Tigers midway through the 2025 season, and was not selected for their final six games, before being given permission to leave at the end of the year.
Bird has scored 36 tries in 173 games for the Sharks, Broncos, Dragons and Tigers since his debut in 2015 and won a title with Cronulla in 2016.
He has also played five Origins for NSW, but his representative career was stalled by some brutal injury setbacks at the Broncos.
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Good move for all 👍👍
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
Not sure this means a great deal but reading between the lines I thought, at the time, it was very positive. I attended a member’s forum last Wednesday, only 7 or 8 of us there with Shaun Mielekamp. One member was worried about Jahream & his manager and expects it to go the way of Galvin because of the manager. Shaun replied smiling, “Ask me that question in 2 weeks”. Nothing definitive but certainly gave us hope good news wasn’t far away.
We need a ton of positivity after the December fiasco.
Bula resigning and a few early wins are really essential
Reports this afternoon that the WT bus could soon be letting Jack Bird off at the next stop.
The Telegraph speculating a deal in the Super League could be on the horizon 🤞
All well and good, but it'll only be a positive move if we use the $$ and roster spot effectively. If it's him or no one for 2026, then we may as well keep him around.
I think his $ could go towards Sione, and his roster spot be taken by Bunty Afoa.
I think we need another middle on top of Bunty.
NBWT saying Sione has signed that new 3 year deal.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2026/02/11/sione-fainu-inks-three-year-contract-extension/
The Wests Tigers are excited to announce that Sione Fainu has signed a contract extension, keeping the damaging forward at Concord until the end of the 2029 NRL season.
Fainu – already contracted until the end of 2026 – has put pen-to-paper on an extension to secure his future as a Tiger, which will see him continue to play alongside brothers, Samuela and Latu.
Wests Tigers Podcast - Talking everything Wests Tigers since 2018!
This is a good strong signing and quite strategic in as much as it goes beyond the current contracts of both Samuela and Latu who may now be less likely to consider offers from other clubs (ie Bears) at the end of the year. Brotherly love.
