Furious Bulls chairman Peter Hood has slammed the decisions leading to star signing Greg Bird joining Catalans Dragons, branding them “utter nonsense”.

The Australian Test ace yesterday completed his switch to Catalans Dragons after his initial Bradford move fell through.

He was denied a visa by the UK Border Agency due to a pending court case next month but had no trouble gaining the necessary paperwork in France.

Hood fired: “By granting Greg a visa on the basis he is innocent until proven guilty of charges hanging over him in Australia, the French authorities demonstrate a more just approach than their counter-parts at the UK Border Agency.”

Bird, 25, was unveiled at a packed press conference in Perpignan and is expected to debut against Castleford at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium on Saturday.

However, it remains doubtful whether he will even be able to pass UK immigration to feature in Catalans’ away games every other week.

But irked Hood said: “The RFL have confirmed that whether Bird is actually allowed into the country or not will depend on the individual immigration officer on the border, whether that be at a London airport or Manchester.

“It all depends who’s on passport control that day. What a way to run a country!

“Officer A could say something totally different to Officer B but don’t we want a set of rules? You’re either allowed in or you're not.

“The whole thing is an utter nonsense and it needs addressing.

“The sooner the RFL can get some set guidelines from the UK Border Agency – that will be stuck to – the better.”

Bird is one of four high-profile NRL players recently denied visas by the UK Border Agency and their tightened procedures.

Kiwi World Cup winner Greg Eastwood saw his move to Leeds fall down because of speeding offences, Todd Carney was blocked from joining Huddersfield Giants due to a driving ban and Aussie Test star Michael Crocker’s switch to Hull is believed to have been vetoed because of a previous affray conviction.

With many clubs already in discussions with players for 2010, Hood said: “We, and the players, need to know if things like motoring convictions are going to jeopardise moves to English Super League clubs in the future.

“The RFL understand that and I’ve every confidence in them to get the matter resolved for the benefit of the game as a whole.

“Obviously, in Bird’s case, it’s not the player’s fault. He needs to earn his living and play and train at an elite level so I completely understand why he’s joined Catalans. It’s not Bradford Bulls’ fault either or the RFL’s.”

With Catalans being the only French Super League club, they also now hold all the aces in being able to sign quality players like Bird, Carney, Eastwood and Crocker, who wouldn’t be granted visas here.

“I’m not sure it’s equitable to have a competition of 14 clubs that one club should have an advantage over the rest in being able to sign players the other 13 can’t,” said Hood.

The RFL have now registered Bird. The stand-off has signed with the Dragons until the end of the season as a direct replacement for France international Sebastien Raguin, who has been sidelined until 2010 with a knee injury but they will tear up Bird’s contract if he is found guilty of the charges against him.

Meanwhile, Hood doesn’t envisage bringing anyone in to replace the former Cronulla player.

“We were always happy with the squad we’d put together and are perfectly happy to go forward with it,” he said.

“This was a special opportunity that materialised and it’s now been whipped away from under our feet but we’re still in no worse position than we were to start with.”