Suspended Cronulla five-eighth Greg Bird has dodged yet another bullet with the NRL club deciding for the second time in a month to postpone making a call on his future.

The club released a statement ahead of their scheduled board meeting on Tuesday stating that lawyers for both parties were continuing discussions and a decision on Bird's future would be made at a later, undisclosed, date.

The Sharks also said they would not make any further comment on the matter.

In a drawn-out affair now totalling four months, it is looking more likely the club will wait for the courts to decide whether Bird is guilty of any offence before they make a decision

to axe him.

Bird, who will appear in court on April 27, has

threatened the club with legal action if he is stood down.

Bird was stood down from playing or training by the club in August after being charged with the alleged assault of his girlfriend Katie Milligan, who was hospitalised with a fractured eye socket.

An initial charge of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm was later downgraded to reckless wounding in October.

He faces other charges, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two charges of lying to police.

The decision by the Sharks to retain the embattled star on their books for the time being is reported to bring with it a $200,000 contractual payment, despite Bird not training or

playing at the club.

Cronulla had reportedly planned to sack Bird earlier this month but a 10-page legal document from the player's representatives thwarted their plans just before the December 4 board meeting.

Bird is signed to the club for four more seasons and if he's sacked by Cronulla and deregistered by the NRL, English Super League club Warrington is reportedly keen to sign him.

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