LEEDS RHINOS are likely to wait another week to hand Jack Bird his club debut.
Versatile ex-Wests Tigers back Bird was signed last month on a two-year deal but is yet to get his first outing at any level.
The 30-year-old was named in their 21-man squad for last Sunday’s victory over Castleford Tigers without playing and has retained his spot for the Challenge Cup fourth-round trip to Wakefield Trinity this Friday.
However, coach Brad Arthur plans to hold Bird back until the following week, when Leeds return to Super League action at Hull FC on Sunday, March 22.
Arthur explained: “He’s getting close, but just because of the limited training we’ve done it’s hard to put him out there until I know he’s comfortable in our system and ready physically.
“He hasn’t done a lot with the team. Next week is probably a better intro into the team having three training days. We’ve done bugger all training the last fortnight.”
Bird’s first full week at the club was while Arthur’s team were in Las Vegas for the victory over Hull KR.
“The main priority early in the piece was to find him somewhere to live and get some things sorted off the field,” added the coach.
“We unfortunately went straight to Vegas and he spent that week here with Chev (Walker, reserves coach), getting to know the place and doing a little bit of training.
“It’s been a slow approach, but a sustained approach so we can have him long-term and once he’s in he’ll play his role for the rest of the year, not just in and out of the team.
“He’s comfortable with the approach and his buy-in has been excellent – I’m happy with his attitude around it. He knows where he stands.”
Brodie Croft (hamstring), Mikolaj Oledzki (rib) and James McDonnell (back) have all been named in Leeds’ squad for Wakefield with Arthur to make late calls on the trio.