Bird will fire NRL Titans: Bailey

16 Jun 2012, 2:43 pm   -   Source: AAP

Injured Titans veteran forward Luke Bailey has backed Greg Bird to pick up where he left off in Origin II and inspire the Gold Coast against the Panthers.

The mere mention of Greg Bird's name brings a smile to Gold Coast Titans teammate Luke Bailey's face.

Not so long ago Bird could have warranted a very different reaction.

His past is well documented.

However, Bailey predicted a rosy future after claiming Bird's Origin form for NSW confirmed his standing as the NRL's best - and a potential Titans captain.

Usually Bailey (ribs) would be like a caged lion on the Titans injury list, champing at the bit to help last year's NRL wooden spooners.

Especially ahead of a clash like Sunday's Skilled Park showdown against a Penrith pack led by NSW revelation Tim Grant.

Of course the sideline stint does not sit well with the former Blues enforcer but Bird's bruising Origin form has all but soothed Bailey's itchy feet.

"I told him the other day I thought he was one of the top three players in the NRL if not the best just because of the way he affects a game," Bailey told AAP.

"He was players' player in the first Origin and man-of-the-match in the second - that says a lot about him.

"I see him as a future captain of this club. He has matured.

"He now has all the right attributes and the boys love playing alongside him.

"He will give us the boost we need this weekend."

In hindsight, Bailey can almost understand how Bird got slapped with the dreaded "NRL bad boy" tag.

But Bailey reckoned Bird should now be considered a rugby league freak for all the right reasons.

"He was an old school footy guy who loved a drink," Bailey said of Bird's past which saw him sacked from former club Cronulla after an off-field incident.

"But he has turned it around to become a modern footballer.

"He missed the end-of-year Kangaroos tour so he trained his arse off in the off-season, got strong and fit and we are reaping the benefits.

"He is a funny character.

"Some days he tells me before a game he will get man-of-the-match, or how many Dally M Medal points he will get - then go out and do it, that's how good he is."

Bailey also felt good about his beloved NSW prospects after they squared the series in Sydney.

"They have slowly gained that self-confidence and belief, you can see it," he said of the Blues.

"I would be very worried if I was a Queenslander."

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube