'Didn't want me': Jack Bird eyeing redemption with West Tigers after Dragons axing

Wests Tigers recruit Jack Bird is on a mission to make his ex-coach Shane Flanagan regret ever letting him go.

The former Dragon wants to prove to his doubters that he still belongs in the NRL by helping the Concord club end their 13-year finals drought.

Bird featured in 73 games for St George Illawarra across four seasons before it was announced that he would not be offered a new contract by the club.

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Releasing Bird allowed the joint venture to acquire former Cowboys star Valentine Holmes to partner Moses Suli in the centres.

Asked what compelled him to sign with the Red V, Bird gave an honest reply.

"The Dragons didn't want me, to start with," he told 9News Sydney with a grin.

He then added: "I understand it's a business".

Bird insisted that there is no bad blood with the Dragons or Flanagan — though he intends to make them rue their decision.

"I ran into Flano a few weeks back and I told him, 'You're going to regret it'," he said.

"Nah, that's a gee up but he reckons he's going to make me make 80 tackles [in the middle]. I'll make 30 tackles and come off."

A premiership player with Cronulla under Flanagan in 2016, Bird has not featured in a finals campaign in seven years across stints with the Sharks, Broncos and Dragons.

For the embattled Tigers, their time out of the finals arena has stretched since 2011.

"I couldn't give two rats that they've won three wooden spoons [in the last three years]," Bird said.

"I want to come here, turn that culture around and try and lead [the club] in the right direction.

"Our main goal is to make the top eight. We haven't been there for a while.

"It's going to be hard but we've got the team to do it now and I honestly think that we can.

"You look at the signings we have made at this club. I see a bright future at this club."

A move from centre to lock also appears likely for the 29-year-old.

"Benji wants me to play at lock. It's completely different playing lock to five-eighth, you've got to do a lot more tackling which sometimes I don't like in the middle," Bird said. 

Bird joins fellow recruits Tyrell May, Jarome Luai, Sunia Turuva, Royce Hunt and Jeral Skelton for what is shaping up to be a revived Tigers line-up.