Serial offender Greg Bird faces a six-week ban if he accepts a dangerous throw charge after he threw Kiwi winger Jason Nightingale in last Sunday’s Test against New Zealand at Suncorp.
But an eight-week ban awaits if Bird fights the charge and loses.
Bird hasn’t a hope in hell of beating the ban, so the six weeks will put him out of Origin 1 selection.
Does NSW Origin coach Laurie Daley really need a hot-head like Bird anyway? And does rugby league need Bird at all?
The answer is a double no.
Just take the Nightingale incident in isolation.
It’s the 74th minute, the Kiwis are well in command and in no danger of losing, so Bird dangerously upends Nightingale.
For what reason, the game was done and dusted?
It was a stupid move from the Bird-brained forward.
What makes the charge worse is the fact it’s the sixth dangerous throw charge in Bird’s career. It keeps company with his first charge of kneeing Rabbitoh winger Shane Marteene in the head that earned a ten-week suspension in 2004, and a striking charge in 2011 for a one-week ban.
But six dangerous throw charges demands a whole lot more attention than a minimum six-week holiday.
How many times will the judiciary allow Bird to run amok before he sends a hapless opponent into the life of a cripple?
And how many times will an obvious dangerous throw be ignored by referees who cross their arms to indicate the incident is on report, a cop-out, instead of reaching immediately for the red card?
Bird is fast heading into the most suspended NRL footballers of all time.
John Hopoate is the undisputed leader with a total of 45 weeks suspension during his 13-year career.
Luke O’Donnell and Craig Smith share 32 weeks, then Danny Williams 28, with Adrian Morley and Jason Stevens sharing 26.
Bird’s on 21 weeks, so the six-week ban will take him past Morley and Stevens. If there’s any justice, that will be the end of it for the 30-year-old Bird because his off-field misdemeanours don’t make pretty reading either, especially as he awaits cocaine charges later this month.
It’s time for the judiciary to be consistent and start weeding out the real troublemakers that give the great game of rugby league a bad name.
That applies to another hot-head in Josh Reynolds.
How come he faces a one-week ban for tripping in last Sunday’s City-Country game, when he copped two weeks last season for tripping Ben Barba?
Simply, nobody can pick what the judiciary will do.
Chrisso
Guest
Great record only 4th lifting charge in 2 years, not many players can claim that. Shows what damage drugs do to already tiny brains. Wish he didn't miss origin though we need the 3 or 4 penalties he gives away every game.
Chrisso
Guest
I agree about Gallen, why such a tough player needs to turn grub I don't know. How he can even be selected after pleading guilty to drug cheating I don't know.Bird wears his IQ score on his jumper. I'll miss the 3 or 4 penalty he gives away every game though. Another problem is his replacement Merrin can play decent footy.
Roarer
Guest
Stopped reading this article as soon as a I read the word no.
Greg
Guest
Or Captain Grub Cameron Smith either. It amazes me that Smith ever made first grade because he's obviously got some kind of leg issue where he finds it impossible to get up off the ground after making a tackle without first digging his knees into his opponent and using them as leverage to help himself off the ground.
Arnold Krewanty
Guest
ha ha ha. Don't be sad that you missed out on the best years of Rugby League! Go back to watching your super slow-mo replays. My whole argument was that today players are getting massive suspensions for nothing tackles.
Greg
Guest
Just like how the NSW series win was made all the more sweeter watching Smith, Thurston, Hodges, and Tate whinge and moan at the ref when things weren't going their way.
Pedro the Maroon
Guest
And league doesn't need Gallen either. He and Bird are king and clown prince of the cheap shot - not to mention the disrespect the pair show referees.
Pedro the Maroon
Guest
Bird, Gallen, Reynolds - all nigglers. All grubs. All proud Blues. I say pick them - because it makes a Maroon victory all the sweeter watching these heroic Blues whinge, carp, moan and scream at the referee when things don't go their way.
Dayer
Guest
+1
Dayer
Guest
Arnold stop living in the past ... you need to embrace the present not the past, you know what that makes when you come up with the past ..... it makes you a DINOsaur.
Casper
Guest
Wasn't Brad Fittler found asleep on a median strip in one of the main roads in Sydney during his prime? Early on, Thurston made a few errors of judgement when on the booze but he turned that around and look at him now. Role model who realises the legacy he can leave for indigenous kids. Unfortunately, Bird hasn't got the message and doesn't appear smart enough to learn from his experiences.
Dayer
Guest
boo hoo hoo league is really missing you .... please come back and support the great game.... have a nice day.
Casper
Guest
but Mick, aren't your examples support for the case that was put about Bird. I recall those days and guys like Kevin Ryan were tough as nails and would excel under today's training regime but it doesn't change the fact that the current athletes are fitter and stronger in general. The players you refer to were the elite but there were a lot of pluggers making up the numbers. We don't have scrums now, so you can't cripple the opposition hooker or front rower with a kick in the shins or cut from steel studs. Nobody said the current lot are better, just bigger, fitter and faster across the board. Back on topic, send Bird to France to play with his mate and move on.
MJB
Guest
Yeah! If you can't survive falling with your entire bodyweight plus another large bloke's worth of force landing on your neck, you're a pansy. /s
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Ah Mick, perhaps you should remove your rose tinted spectacles just a minute and give them a wipe. The amateur bin men running around playing league like cement Gillespie were smaller and physically weaker because they didn't have the benefit of the diet, or full time training. Sure, he had good tackling technique, ask Sterlo, but it's simply physics. Kinetic energy has two variables, mass and speed. Today the players are quicker and heavier, hence they generate more force. Coupled with that, people are getting bigger with the average height increasing over the last 25 years. Most u20 players would weigh more than Cement did in his peak (95kgs I believe). Johnny Raper weighed 76 kgs. An u20 player from today would pick him up and wipe their armpits with him without breaking a sweat. Yes, he was tough, but he ain't ever going to be able to smash somebody with the force a modern day winger does. Physics. Nobody is saying that the hard men of yesteryear couldn't tackle and couldn't hurt you, but on average, they are smaller and slower and therefore unable to hit with as much force as today. A quick glance at footage of the players from 25 years ago shows you how different their physiques were. I was in the stands watching them myself. Ray Price and Johnny Raper have had their day, they look like skinny "before' photos from Charles Atlas ads now. Sadly, I am old enough to have watched the players you refer to, but thanks for calling me young :)
peeeko
Guest
to say that players were fat and slow in 1990 is totally wrong. yes they are better now
peeeko
Guest
enjoy your other sport, good bye
peeeko
Guest
of course Rugby league doesn't need greg bird but he is still entitled to play the game. his record isnt that bad and a really bad precedent (probably illegal) would be set by ruling him out of the game. pointless discussion
Nova
Roar Rookie
It was stupid but for all he has done he remains one of my favourites. A classic 'old school' footy player. The West Maitland boy has done well.
Gary McDonald
Guest
not at all if we want QLD to win 3-0 , this game in 50 years will be touch if it exists at all. We have over 100,00 full time and part time people in our military who have been shot at and blown up over the last 20 years yet mothers still let their kids join the military whilst the NRL believe this ongoing softly softly approach will have more mothers allowing their kids to play the game. This is a hard game for tough men but has become a pathetic joke