St George Illawarra Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has revealed plans to play Jack Bird in the centres throughout 2024.

The club's new head coach, who takes over from Anthony Griffin after he was sacked by the club in the middle of 2023, had plenty of questions to answer heading into his first game in charge of the Red V, a club he has spent time at previously as a list consultant and assistant coach.

While the biggest question was set to be whether Zac Lomax or Tyrell Sloan would play at fullback, it now appears Flanagan has thrown a spanner in the works, with Sloan to play at fullback and Bird to take over Lomax's right centre position.

“We've moved him to the centres, he'll predominantly play, I would hope so, most of his footy in the centres,” Flanagan said of Bird on SEN 1170 Radio.

“He could play a little bit of five-eighth if we have an injury or form (problems), but that's where he'll play most of his footy, at right centre.

“He's done a really good job, he's lost a lot of weight and put on muscle, I'm looking for a really good season.”

Lomax, who had a mixed 2023, started the season with a switch of sides which didn't work. Once Griffin was removed from the head coaching chair, interim coach Ryan Carr moved Moses Suli and Lomax back to their original side, with the duo both finding solid form to the back-end of the year.

But that doesn't mean he is guaranteed a starting role for 2024.

While Bird is a utility, it has long been thought that playing him in a single position will get the best out of him, and unless Lomax now fights for a wing position - of which one is locked away for Mikaele Ravalawa and the other belonged to Mathew Feagai at the end of last year, he may not have a role in the side.

Flanagan said he sees plenty in Sloan as a fullback.

“Sloan is a fullback down and out, that's his best position,” Flanagan added.

“He's so fast out the back of shape there's not too many players, you've got your Reece Walsh (types), I'm not saying he's in that category, but he'd be up there with speed.

“If he gets one-on-one with a backrower, good luck trying to stop him and that's why they're trying to with Reece Walsh and these blokes out the back of shapes.

“He's got some areas to work on defensively, but he's done a really good job… he's worked really hard defensively, he knows what his weaknesses are and we've addressed them.

“We address them every training session at some point and I think he's bought into it.”