Greg Bird has been convicted of a serious crime in NSW. Regardless of the outcome of the sentencing hearing on June 22, and even if he is able to reverse the conviction on appeal, he is still in deep trouble with the NRL.

Based on what the NRL's past reaction has been to criminal convictions, or even non-criminal misbehaviour (e.g. Brett Stewart being drunk) Bird is likely to be banned from the NRL for a considerable period of time.

This also means that Bird, who was denied a visa to Britain before his conviction, will likely never get a visa to Britain. It leaves him with only one choice in his rugby league career -- France!

Les Catalans have already given him a career lifeline for 2009. Now it is likely that he will want to stay on longer.

If Les Catalans give him a longer term contract, he can qualify to play for France at the end of 2011, in time for the Northern hemisphere Four Nations.

Should France use him as a French player, the way that New Zealand have used Brent Webb --- on the basis of residency qualifications?

Obviously. As a close confidante of his you'd know this. You were the first person he phoned after the guilty verdict.

'Albert, I've been convicted, so I want you to spread the word on message boards, my career is not dead!'

Would the conviction not affect his ability enter the UK even on a game-by-game basis (thus making him useless for 50% of Les Catalans Super League games)?

I seem to remember when he signed for Catalans a quote from UK Border Force stating that his entry to the UK will be at the discretion of the immigration official at the airport.

First of all, he never calls me Albert.

Second, he often calls me Phallus, because unlike many people on this board -- littlerich a notable exception -- he understands the possessive case.

Third, and most important, he is on his way back to France, with the hope of playing in front of all of us in Murrayfield. So I conclude from this -- not from any alleged phone calls -- that he believes that his rugby league career is not over.

That is why the title of this thread is fair speculation.

Let's see if he plays for Catalans after June 22nd shall we. If he gets community service he will have to stay in Australia until that's done.

What about Rosenfeld then?

OK. Of course we have no idea what his sentence will be. But let's just assume for argument's sake that he gets sentenced to community service. What will the consequences of that be? He will be free to leave Australia at some point, maybe even this year, depending on how much community service he gets and how intensely he is allowed to cram it in.

If that is the case, the fact remains that his only rugby league career option is France -- unless the Americans have the money to sign him!

Does the fact he's resident and working in another EU country buy him any slack from a temporary entry to the UK point of view?

It's not like he's going to do a bunk from the team hotel and abscond after all.

Thread already exists.