Greg Bird
Encyclopedia
Gregory Bird is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer currently contracted to the Gold Coast Titans
of the National Rugby League
. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin lock or five-eighth, Bird previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League
and the Catalans Dragons
of Super League
.
in the Hunter Valley, Bird played junior football for West Maitland and Maitland Pumpkin Pickers. A schoolboy sensation in rugby league, playing for Rutherford Technology High School, he was a member of the Newcastle Knights under-18 SG Ball side, going on to represent and captain the junior Australian Kangaroos side in 2001.
While attending Rutherford High School, Bird played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2001.
. Bird played regular first grade for the Sharks in 2003.
Bird obtained notoriety in 2004 after kneeing Souths
winger Shane Marteene
in the head during their round four clash, which resulted in him not only being sent off by the referee but also in a 10 week suspension
from the judiciary. According to his agent, Gavin Orr, Bird had "said he copped a couple of blows to the face during the match and he got an elbow from Shane Marteene in the tackle and just lost it." Chief executive of the club, Steve Rogers claimed that Bird had "been made an example of" and was angered that there "wasn't much consideration given to Greg's youth and his previous record". But the judiciary stated that it took Bird's remorse and good record into account, but decided upon the lengthy suspension due to the severity of the offence. After the game Bird apologised to Marteene in the dressing rooms and also wrote letters to the player and the Souths club. Greg Bird was charged with two assaults including girlfriend in 2008
Bird had a strong year in 2006 and was voted as the Sharks' Player of the Year despite missing seven games of the season through injury. He suffered a serious rib injury in a Round 21 game against the Newcastle Knights
which ended his season. Also during 2006, he posed for the Naked Rugby League 2007-08 charity calendar, which was produced to raise money for the National Breast Cancer
Foundation of Australia. In March, 2006 he was alleged to have sent model Lara Bingle
inappropriate text messages, although Bird denied this, Sharks spokesman Rob Willis saying "Greg's thrown up his hands... He says he's done nothing inappropriate. There's been nothing obscene written. There's been no harassment.".
Following outstanding club form, Bird made his debut for Country Origin and the NSW Blues in game II. His performance earned him a recall for game III of the series, this time in the position of five-eighth where he played most of his early football. He was also awarded Man of the Match. Bird made his Australian Test debut in 2007 and was named the Player's Player in the one-off test match between Australia and New Zealand
.
Bird made a strong start to the 2008 season and was selected for Australia for May's Centenary Test, retaining his five-eighth jersey in place of an injured Darren Lockyer
. Following the Test, Bird was again named in the NSW Blues side, controversially chosen again in the five-eighth position. In the 2008 State of Origin game one Bird was named Man of the Match.
Following NSW's loss in Game II, Bird claimed he was "jokingly" arrested and hancuffed outside a Brisbane nightclub as part of a practical joke by Queensland Police. Queensland Police responded in a press release stating Bird was arrested after he failed to follow police instructions. He was released after five minutes without charge.
In August, 2008, Bird was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
.
confirmed they had signed Bird to the English Super League
side for the 2009 season, with a two year option for 2010 and 2011. However he was unable to play for the Bulls this season as his visa was denied. After initially deciding to play rugby union
in the Shute Shield
for Southern Districts Rugby Club
, he eventually joined French rugby league club Catalans Dragons
.
On 6 May 2009, the Catalans Dragons opened talks with Bird about extending his stay at the club despite his court case on the 28 April 2009 for assault.
officially announced the signing of Bird.
The charges against Bird led to the British Government denying him a work permit
to take up a playing position with Bradford Bulls
.
On 13 March 2009 Bird again appeared in Sutherland Local Court on five charges (1 charge with 4 "backup" charges) of common assault against a female at Cronulla on 19 January 2008. This matter was not related to the case involving his girlfriend. His accuser was found to have been the aggressor in the incident, and Bird was cleared of all charges by the magistrate.
On the 28 April 2009 Bird was found guilty of one count of reckless wounding of his girlfriend and one count of making a false accusation to police after attempting to blame his flatmate. On 22 June 2009 he was sentenced to a maximum of 16 months imprisonment.
On appeal in November 2009, Bird was acquitted of the charges, after both he and his girlfriend gave evidence to support his claims.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer currently contracted to the Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin lock or five-eighth, Bird previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and the Catalans Dragons
Catalans Dragons
The Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom...
of Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
.
Early career
Of Indigenous Australian heritage and raised at LochinvarLochinvar
Lochinvar is a loch in Scotland that is now a reservoir. It nestles in the hills of Dumfries and Galloway to the north-east of St. John's Town of Dalry. It is drained by the Lochinvar Burn, which flows south to the Water of Ken. The ruins of a castle stand on a now submerged islet within the loch...
in the Hunter Valley, Bird played junior football for West Maitland and Maitland Pumpkin Pickers. A schoolboy sensation in rugby league, playing for Rutherford Technology High School, he was a member of the Newcastle Knights under-18 SG Ball side, going on to represent and captain the junior Australian Kangaroos side in 2001.
While attending Rutherford High School, Bird played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2001.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Bird made his NRL debut for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks on 28 April 2002, Round 7 v Bulldogs at Toyota ParkToyota Park (Cronulla)
Endeavour Field, currently known as Toyota Stadium due to sponsorship rights, is a rugby league stadium in the suburb of Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground for the Cronulla Sharks rugby league team, which represents the Cronulla and Sutherland Shire area...
. Bird played regular first grade for the Sharks in 2003.
Bird obtained notoriety in 2004 after kneeing Souths
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
winger Shane Marteene
Shane Marteene
Shane Marteene is a former rugby league player. He played for the Canterbury Bulldogs, South Sydney Rabbitohs and St. George Illawarra Dragons as a wing and centre....
in the head during their round four clash, which resulted in him not only being sent off by the referee but also in a 10 week suspension
Suspension (punishment)
Suspension is a form of punishment that people receive for violating rules and regulations.- Workplace :Suspension is a common practice in the workplace for being in violation of an organization's policy...
from the judiciary. According to his agent, Gavin Orr, Bird had "said he copped a couple of blows to the face during the match and he got an elbow from Shane Marteene in the tackle and just lost it." Chief executive of the club, Steve Rogers claimed that Bird had "been made an example of" and was angered that there "wasn't much consideration given to Greg's youth and his previous record". But the judiciary stated that it took Bird's remorse and good record into account, but decided upon the lengthy suspension due to the severity of the offence. After the game Bird apologised to Marteene in the dressing rooms and also wrote letters to the player and the Souths club. Greg Bird was charged with two assaults including girlfriend in 2008
Bird had a strong year in 2006 and was voted as the Sharks' Player of the Year despite missing seven games of the season through injury. He suffered a serious rib injury in a Round 21 game against the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
which ended his season. Also during 2006, he posed for the Naked Rugby League 2007-08 charity calendar, which was produced to raise money for the National Breast Cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
Foundation of Australia. In March, 2006 he was alleged to have sent model Lara Bingle
Lara Bingle
Lara Bingle is an Australian fashion model who is best known for appearing in the 2006 Tourism Australia advertising campaign So where the bloody hell are you? She is also known for being the former fiancee of Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke and girlfriend of AFL footballer Brendon...
inappropriate text messages, although Bird denied this, Sharks spokesman Rob Willis saying "Greg's thrown up his hands... He says he's done nothing inappropriate. There's been nothing obscene written. There's been no harassment.".
Following outstanding club form, Bird made his debut for Country Origin and the NSW Blues in game II. His performance earned him a recall for game III of the series, this time in the position of five-eighth where he played most of his early football. He was also awarded Man of the Match. Bird made his Australian Test debut in 2007 and was named the Player's Player in the one-off test match between Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
.
Bird made a strong start to the 2008 season and was selected for Australia for May's Centenary Test, retaining his five-eighth jersey in place of an injured Darren Lockyer
Darren Lockyer
Darren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
. Following the Test, Bird was again named in the NSW Blues side, controversially chosen again in the five-eighth position. In the 2008 State of Origin game one Bird was named Man of the Match.
Following NSW's loss in Game II, Bird claimed he was "jokingly" arrested and hancuffed outside a Brisbane nightclub as part of a practical joke by Queensland Police. Queensland Police responded in a press release stating Bird was arrested after he failed to follow police instructions. He was released after five minutes without charge.
In August, 2008, Bird was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
.
Catalans Dragons
On 16 January 2009, Bird was released from his contract with Cronulla. The following day, Bradford BullsBradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
confirmed they had signed Bird to the English Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
side for the 2009 season, with a two year option for 2010 and 2011. However he was unable to play for the Bulls this season as his visa was denied. After initially deciding to play rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in the Shute Shield
Shute Shield
The Shute Shield is a rugby union competition in Sydney, New South Wales. It is the premier grade rugby trophy in NSW rugby. The Shute Shield is awarded at the end of the Sydney Club Rugby season to the team that wins the Grand Final...
for Southern Districts Rugby Club
Southern Districts Rugby Club
Southern Districts Rugby Club is a rugby union club based in southern Sydney, New South Wales. The club currently competes in the New South Wales Rugby Union competitions, the Shute Shield and Tooheys New Cup...
, he eventually joined French rugby league club Catalans Dragons
Catalans Dragons
The Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom...
.
On 6 May 2009, the Catalans Dragons opened talks with Bird about extending his stay at the club despite his court case on the 28 April 2009 for assault.
Return to the NRL with Gold Coast
After his glassing conviction was quashed, Bird was given the green light to return to the NRL. Bird was linked to the Cowboys, Broncos and Titans. On 7 December 2009, the Gold Coast TitansGold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
officially announced the signing of Bird.
Representative career
- Represented and captained the Australian Schoolboys
- Country Origin: 2007, 2010
- State of Origin: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
- Australia: 2007, 2008
Controversies
On 25 August 2008, Bird appeared in Sutherland Local Court charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on his 24-year-old American girlfriend Katie Milligan at his flat in Cronulla. It was alleged that he had smashed a glass into her face. It was reported that she is undergoing surgery for a fractured eye socket and facial injuries. He was granted bail. The Cronulla club's chief executive, Tony Zappia, advised Bird would be stood down from the playing roster pending further investigations. Ms Milligan had moved to Sydney to be with Bird earlier in the month, having met him in Las Vegas while he was on holiday there earlier in the year. In September 2008 Bird's legal representative was advised that Bird would be facing additional charges of public mischief and false accusation.The charges against Bird led to the British Government denying him a work permit
Work permit (United Kingdom)
The UK Work Permit scheme was an immigration category used to encourage skilled workers to enter the United Kingdom up till November 2008, when it was replaced by the points-based immigration system...
to take up a playing position with Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
.
On 13 March 2009 Bird again appeared in Sutherland Local Court on five charges (1 charge with 4 "backup" charges) of common assault against a female at Cronulla on 19 January 2008. This matter was not related to the case involving his girlfriend. His accuser was found to have been the aggressor in the incident, and Bird was cleared of all charges by the magistrate.
On the 28 April 2009 Bird was found guilty of one count of reckless wounding of his girlfriend and one count of making a false accusation to police after attempting to blame his flatmate. On 22 June 2009 he was sentenced to a maximum of 16 months imprisonment.
On appeal in November 2009, Bird was acquitted of the charges, after both he and his girlfriend gave evidence to support his claims.