The NRL insist the Greg Bird controversy did not prompt the introduction of new guidelines for player behaviour.

Barely 24 hours after fallen star Bird resurrected his NRL career with the Gold Coast Titans on a complex, multi-year deal, the league announced on Tuesday that an external investigator was officially in place to deal with off-field issues from 2010.

"Clubs will remain responsible for the initial investigation of any off-field issue and must submit a report to the NRL detailing their progress, findings and recommended actions," an NRL spokesman said on Tuesday.

"The NRL has enlisted the services of an external investigator to review the report and conduct any further inquiries that may be deemed necessary.

"The investigator may conduct a separate report that would be reviewed along with the club report by an NRL panel."

The panel includes NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley and former players Michael Buettner and Mark O'Neill.

"The panel will then make any recommendations as to the appropriateness of the club's actions to the NRL CEO David Gallop," an NRL statement read.

"The clubs have to be the starting point in the process and our recent work with the (American) NFL has only confirmed the importance of this principle."

But an NRL spokesman said it had nothing to do with the Bird controversy.

"It's completely unrelated to that - could I be any more clear," he told AAP.

"This has been on the cards for some time."

An NRL statement added: "Anyone who lets down the game has to know that they are also letting down their own team-mates and has to know that it is their own club that will be the first to act.

"It's equally important that the clubs are aware that we are going to do all we can to drive consistency to the extent that it is achievable.

"Every incident has to be treated on the basis of its own unique circumstances and we should never step away from that fact.

"But the principle of clubs and the game enforcing behavioural codes and standing up for the vast majority of players who don't want their reputations tarnished by a few individuals has to be maintained."

Meanwhile, Bird vowed to return to Catalans Dragons one day and repay the faith shown in him by the English Super League club.

Bird played for the Dragons after being banished by the NRL while he fought a charge of recklessly wounding his girlfriend Kate Milligan in Australia.

Last month, the former Cronulla Shark won his appeal in Sydney against a conviction for recklessly wounding Ms Milligan and the ensuing minimum eight-month jail term.

"I will never forget what the Dragons did for me and I would like to wear their colours again," Bird said in a statement.

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