Having been through it all himself, James Roberts' advice to Jack Bird is simply to "chill" and not force things as pressure mounts on the high-profile Brisbane NRL recruit.
Lured north from Cronulla on a four-year deal reportedly worth $3.5 million, the high-profile utility has been cut from the Broncos' side for Friday night's clash with the Sydney Roosters.
Nursing a sore sternum, Bird avoided contact work while training with the reserves. He will be benched for at least a week as he aims to get mind and body right.
In 2016, former Gold Coast centre Roberts arrived in Brisbane amid plenty of hype only to flounder.
He revealed he had spoken to Bird about how tough it could be.
"My first year, I struggled a bit for form, trying to overplay my hand," he said.
"That's what I was saying to him. Just chill out, give it time and it'll come.
"I think Jack will fit in anywhere (positionally) really; he just needs that confidence back that he's lacking."
Teammate Andrew McCullough sympathised with his teammate but said time away was needed.
"Being a key recruit, you get scrutinised a lot more and highlighted a lot more," he said.
"It'll take a bit of pressure off and make sure he gets his sternum right and mind right."
Bird's omission will rob the Broncos of more experience, with veterans Matt Gillett, Josh McGuire and Alex Glenn joining teenage powerhouse Payne Haas on the injured list.
Former North Queensland player Patrick Mago will make his first Broncos appearance off the bench alongside NRL debutant Gehamat Shibasaki.
The 19-year-old centre is a descendant of Japanese pearl divers, who settled in the late 19th century in Torres Strait.
Tom Opacic returns to the centres in place of Bird, while Tevita Pangai Jnr will play second row and Joe Ofahengaue will start at lock.
"It's exciting; it's a great challenge," McCulloch said of the task in front of the ninth-placed club.
"We've come up with some great wins to turn our season around and these sort of games (with big names out injured) is where you can produce a win to turn it around."
Share
