- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Have you heard that the word is Bird? I have, and so have a few others. In fact, Greg Bird’s name is increasingly becoming the word around the coup down south.
Or so it may seem. ‘Tis the season, if one recalls, that the annual jousting among NSW fans has begun for whom should don the state’s five-eighth jumper.
So how is Bird becoming the word? Well, for a start, unlike Queensland the NSW side hasn’t been picked yet.
As Mal Meninga and his clan of banana benders are kicking back under the palm-laden streets of Australia’s sunshine state, Laurie Daley and his cobbled band of harbour buddies are busy pouring over game footage and Excel spread sheets.
They are yet to decide who’s best placed to split the banana eaters and deliver the Blue’s some much needed monkey relief.
In focus for NSW selectors is the all-important five-eighth position, a spot that’s seen more men since 2006 than a Big Day Out urinal. This position has been one of the more contentious among the state’s brethren, with potential candidates tossed up by different quarters like confetti at a wedding.
With incumbent NSW five-eighth James Maloney in the casualty ward, NSW have once again been forced to look into their pond of stocks to decide which fish can bring home the caviar.
However, Daley needs to flick the fish pond and instead take a peek into the aviary.
Big Greg Bird is the answer to NSW’s five-eighth dilemma this year. While there’s sure to be howls and squawks of disagreement from some following such a statement, we should first look at why the man called Bird ought to be considered the word.
In the main, NSW have been beaten since 2006 due to poor kicking games, poor forward thrust and a lack of creativity among its halves to deliver points. And whether it’s right or not, Mitchell Pearce will be the NSW half-back.
They’re the facts. We know that opinion is divided on the auto selection of Pearce, but that’s not being discussed here. It’s simply accepted that he will be there, so let’s work with that.
How does Greg Bird improve the kicking game or the creativity of NSW, some may ask?
The answer is, he doesn’t. But neither has anyone else before him. Jamie Soward was given a go and we were still out-kicked. An in-form James Maloney was given a shot and we still got outplayed. So why wheel out another lamb when it’s clear that the better boots and more talented halves are in maroon?
Blues supporters must put aside their aspirations for kicking and creativity and accept their side’s shortcomings. For too long NSW have tried to emulate Queensland. The Blues’ brains-trust have wanted (and the public have wanted) NSW to look as flash and as clinical as their northern state counterparts; falling short in trying to do so.
Strangely, though, it’s not all bad.
The fact that NSW have come close to pulling off series wins in the past few years says more about NSW than it does about Queensland, especially when you consider the players Meninga and co have had at their disposal.
NSW need to take heart from this. Any softer opponents would have been comprehensively whitewashed over the past four years.
To win this season, NSW need to reflect on how they’ve managed to remain competitive in the face of such talent. In doing so, they need to acknowledge their ugliness and leave being pretty to the cheer squads.
Playing hard, strong and scrappy should be their code. Outscoring Queensland isn’t going happen. Instead, NSW need to focus on forcing Queensland to put up the white flag through resolute and defiant defence.
They will gain confidence and points will follow against a Queensland side frustrated in attack. In order to do this effectively, NSW need to select the troops willing and able to follow such a philosophy through. It might be ridiculously clichéd (the whole tough as nails business), and it is duly noted, but “cattle-dog” Tommy Raudonikis and his stain of blue-eyed lunacy may have finally found some currency once again.
Bird, is not only a man who oozes this type of philosophy, he is the one to lead it.
Putting Bird into the halves does more than lift the aggressive intent of the NSW side, it increases the size of it and somewhat compensates for any loss of grunt if NSW go pick a utility player on the bench.
Bird’s performance against the Tigers recently was typical of what he does and what oppositions have come to expect. It was intense, aggressive and most of all, influential. NSW can succeed this year based on those qualities if they are put front and centre.
To Ricky Stuart’s credit, he tried to instil the mongrel attitude, but fell short of victory by over-coaching the attack or expecting too much from them – he wanted to have his cake and eat it too.
If the boys in blue want to pop the corks and spill the beer during the team song, then they have to accept their creative and flamboyant shortcomings and embrace their inner cattle-dog. A mental shedding of the flashy studs and sequins for the King-Gees and steel-caps.
Putting Bird in the halves won’t improve the kicking or the creativity. But he won’t weaken them either. He’ll do a competent job.
Remember, it’s NSW who have battled in those departments for years. Bird’s selection at five-eighth does, however, bring a robust running game, a decent passing game and puts a man with a winning attitude front and centre to have more ball opportunity.
This will strengthen his chance to influence the result. This year, Bird is the word.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.