WATCH: Des Hasler watches helplessly as Brian Kelly butchers sitter from nearly in front
After his goal-kicking heroics a few weeks ago in Canberra, the commentators joked he must be a "sideline specialist" after missing this penalty that…
Scott Prince says it will take time to gel but teammate Mat Rogers believes new signing Greg Bird will be “brutal” from the first play in his debut for the Titans against the Warriors at Skilled Park on Sunday.
Bird’s renowned aggression and intimidation combined with his ability to take on the line with his added size from five-eighth have some pundits predicting the Titans will go all the way in 2010.
“I’ve played outside him in a couple of trials and he’s brutal on the field,” said Rogers on Thursday.
“He’s pretty vicious, he gets right in, it certainly lifts me standing next to him and the players around him.”
Prince, who playfully suggested he would still call the shots, said he and Bird still had a lot of improvement to make before they got it right.
But he said the addition of the controversial former Cronulla utility and Test player provided the team with a number of different points of attack this season.
“We’ve gone OK in a couple of trials so we’ll have to wait and see,” he said.
“He’s a big bugger and it takes a few blokes to pull him down.
“Hopefully that can open up a bit of space for guys like Presto (Preston Campbell) and Nathan Friend.
“It’s going to take him a little time to get used to the structure but I’m quite confident he can get the job done.
“The more we play together the better we’re going to be.”
Coach John Cartwright, forced to rule out prop Michael Henderson, has handed new recruits Bird, Joseph Tomane and Riley Brown their debuts against the Warriors.
Cartwright described Prince and Bird, who have had one and a half trial games together, as a “work in progress”.
“They’re both naturally gifted footballers who can play to a structure or play what they see,” said Cartwright.
“It’s just going to take time.
“They’re going to get better and better the more they play.
“He (Bird) is a good guy, he’s very popular with his teammates.
“He’s been nothing but positive for us.”
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