Gold Coast are to roll the dice by challenging the grading of Greg Bird’s dangerous throw charge in a bid to save his State of Origin series.
The NSW back-rower was slapped with a grade three charge by the NRL match review committee on Monday for a lifting tackle on South Sydney’s Bryson Goodwin.
Gold Coast said on Tuesday Bird will enter an early guilty plea. But he will miss six matches – including the entire Origin series – if he fails to secure a downgrade at a hearing at Rugby League Central on Wednesday night.
Should the charge be downgraded to a grade two, Bird will miss just two games, including the opening Origin game on May 28, but he will be available for the rest of the series.