Todd Carney's career may be in limbo again, with his management and English Super League side Huddersfield fearing his visa application to travel to Britain will be declined.

Carney, who was sacked by Canberra last year, is unable to move to his new club due to difficulties in processing his visa application. The situation has become so desperate for the club that officials have reportedly contacted managers and other clubs to find another halfback.

Carney's manager David Riolo yesterday admitted the visa hold-up could mean the 22-year-old might not be able to play with the Nathan Brown-coached team this year.

Riolo applied for Carney's visa in October, but has yet to receive it. Huddersfield officials have publicly played down the prospect of Carney being able to play for the Giants by their first Super League fixture, on February 14.

While Riolo had hoped the delays were purely administrative, there will now be fears that the very reasons Carney was forced to play in Britain - his chequered off-field record, which includes a number of drink-driving convictions and eventually led to his sacking last August, may also prevent him from playing at his new home.

"If he's not allowed to go overseas, he's going to have to seek employment in Australia," Riolo said. "And he's a professional rugby league player. I'll have to try and find him a club. I'll have to ask the NRL if he can be registered, and if they choose not to, I'll be asking on what grounds."

Carney is not alone as a new system of visa applications adopted by British officials takes effect. Hull-bound Michael Crocker remains in Melbourne, unable to secure his visa, although he is still hopeful of joining the club's pre-season camp in Portugal.

The career of another player who has been threatened with deregistration, suspended Shark Greg Bird, is also in flux, with the Cronulla board likely to meet later this month at the earliest, prompting suggestions from his manager yesterday that the Test player might be forced to switch codes.

Cronulla chief executive Tony Zappia is due to return from leave on January 19, and will attempt to schedule a board meeting before the end of the month to decide the future of Bird, who was stood down after allegedly assaulting his American girlfriend Katie Milligan. Bird, who faces court again in April and continues to be paid by the Sharks, has just returned to Sydney from a holiday in the US.

Bird's manager Gavin Orr admitted the delays would make it less likely the 24-year-old would be able to find a Super League club, especially if there has been a visa crackdown.

"If a rugby club came into it, he'd look at it," Orr said. "He's obviously seen what [Mark] Gasnier and [Craig] Gower and [Luke] Rooney and Sonny [Bill Williams] are doing.

"And there's been some interest over there. But Greg wants to see the next move Cronulla makes before he makes a decision - whether it's to the UK or rugby, or seeing what terms the NRL and Cronulla place on him."