#17 Greg Bird
Whether you love him, hate him, or love to hate him, everybody has an opinion on this character. At 28, Bird is heading into his 11th season, and 12th professional season overall as he played 2009 in the UK Super League. Throughout that time he's been a menace both on and off the field. Off the field he's been far from a poster child, despite posing in the 2007-2008 Naked Rugby League calendar. He was accused of sending "inappropriate" text messages to Lara Bingle, appeared in court charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on his girlfriend by smashing her face with a glass. He eventually faced 5 charges including common assault against a female unrelated to the "glassing" case. In the end, Bird was found guilty of 1 count of recklessly wounding his girlfriend and 1 count of making a false accusation to police. But Bird appealed the charges and was acquitted of the charges after evidence from both he and his girlfriend. Since then, Bird has managed to keep his nose fairly clean off the paddock, but on the paddock he's always getting into something, much to the chagrin of his opponents...
Watmough would surely know a good grub if he saw one
But in no way am I saying that's a bad thing, despite his "grub" reputation. Whether people like it or not, Bird's carry on can be a successful tactic in the NRL, and Bird's put together a very successful career with 164 NRL games, 4 games for Australia, 3 for the Indigenous All Stars, 3 for NSW Country and 11 for NSW. Bird is the type of guy who will get under the opponents skin and take them off their game, but he's a tough bugger as well and he's not afraid to mix it up. While he walks a fine line at times, he's another one of the blokes that Gould is talking about when he's going on his tangents of what an "Origin" player is. Bird is at his absolute best in the Origin arena, and although he's more often than not coming out on the losing end, as has every NSW player in recent years, he's put together a couple of Man of the Match performances and always seems to elevate his game when he buts on the blue jersey. He thrives in the physical, niggly, aggressive Origin atmosphere, it brings out the best in him, he's taken some huge hits over the years but bounces right back up ready for more, this is what he was born to do. He's an old school player, right down to the sleazy moustache, he would have fit right in during the 70s or 80s, where a clothesline was just a good tackle.
Simmer down gents, it's just a game right?
There's more to Bird's game however than just running about stirring the pot, and you don't get the rep honours he's earned without the skill to go with it. Bird is one of the most versatile players around, while he's most at home in the backrow or at lock he can fill in at five-eighth in a pinch, which is a testament to the footy skills he has that he can slot into such a pivotal position on the field. He doesn't have many stand out elite skills, but he does everything well, and brings the aggression and enthusiasm to support those skills. Bird always seems to bring whatever the game requires, not only is he versatile in his skill set, but he's very versatile in his approach to the game, he adapts to the way the game is flowing and injects himself however is needed. When the situation dictates, he's more than capable of putting up big tackle numbers, he's also capable of logging huge metres on attack also, but he isn't the time to consistently bring those huge numbers week in week out. When you need him however, he'll deliver for you. It's that sort of adaptability, and his aggressive, physical approach to the game, that also makes him a fantastic leader, leading to him being a co captain of the Gold Coast Titans this season.
Come at me bro
Like him or not, it's hard to not admit that he demands you respect his ability on the field. I think it says a lot about the man that after his troubles off the field in his earlier years, to the point where his visa to the UK was rejected when he tried to make a move to the Bradford Bulls, that he's managed to now leave those things in the past and become the type of player that has deemed worthy of being a captain at his club. In what are now likely to be the prime years of his career, what is now left for Bird is to take on the captaincy role and lead his team to the promised land. Despite a very respectable career, Bird has experienced very little team success. Courageous efforts for an outmatched NSW outfit have garnered nothing, and he's only been to the playoffs in 2002 and 2010, both times winning 1 game before being eliminated. As part of what is arguably the best, on paper, forward pack in the 2013 competition, Bird will be no doubt be desperate to finally start adding a feather or two to his cap in the form of Origin series wins and NRL Premierships. But win or lose, one thing you can be sure of is that Bird will give you all that he's got, and his opponents are going to hate playing against him.
He's also got one hell of a sweet tooth
Check back in tomorrow for number 16, as always if you have any comments or criticisms, give me a message on @WellsNorthShore
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