Club teammate and Origin foe Nate Myles says Greg Bird’s great value justifies the gamble of challenging his dangerous throw charge grading.
Gold Coast confirmed on Tuesday morning their NSW back-rower Bird will enter a guilty plea but risk a six-match ban – which would rule him out of the whole State of Origin series – by seeking a downgrade at a judiciary hearing on Wednesday night.
If Bird loses his challenge over his lifting tackle on South Sydney’s Bryson Goodwin he won’t be available for the Titans again until their round 18 game on July 13.
He faced a four-match ban if he did not challenge the grading but, if he’s successful in getting a reduction from a grade three to grade two charge, will bring the ban down to just two matches.
That would still rule 2013 NSW player of the year Bird out of the Origin opener at Suncorp Stadium on May 28 as well as this weekend’s Queensland NRL derby match against Brisbane.
But he’d be back in time for the second Origin game in Sydney on June 18.
“It’s fantastic the club is challenging the grading of the tackle,” said fellow Gold Coast forward Nate Myles, who comes up against Bird in Origin.
“I haven’t spoken to officials at the club but I think they would be confident, I don’t think they would challenge it otherwise,” added Myles, who did not believe the tackle warranted a four-week ban.
“Birdy out of any side is going to be a massive loss.
“He’s a fantastic competitor, that’s why he’s so good.
“Everyone that knows him, he’s a terror to play any sort of game against, whether that be a board game or poker, he’s a nightmare.
“Any side that he’s not in … I think it’s impossible to fill.”
Bird was a notable absentee from Titans’ training on Tuesday morning.
Myles said it was obvious Bird was frustrated by the severity of his charge when he attempted to get in touch with him on Monday evening.
“I tried to have a chat to him yesterday but I felt like I was getting abused in the text messages,” Myles said.
“He’s a little bit disappointed but hopefully we get something good out of it.”