Greg Bird (rugby league) facts for kids

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Greg Bird

Personal information
Full name	Gregory James Howard Bird
Born	(1984-02-10) 10 February 1984 (age 41) Maitland, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	103 kg (16 st 3 lb)
Position	Second-row, Lock, Five-eighth
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2002–08 Cronulla Sharks 106 35 6 0 152 2009 Catalans Dragons 23 5 3 0 26 2010–16 Gold Coast Titans 129 15 19 2 100 2017–19 Catalans Dragons 58 8 0 0 32 Total 316 63 28 2 310 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2007–12 NSW Country 3 0 0 0 0 2007–16 New South Wales 18 2 0 0 8 2007–13 Prime Minister's XIII 3 0 0 0 0 2007–15 Australia 17 4 0 0 16 2010–15 Indigenous All Stars 5 0 0 0 0

Greg Bird (born 10 February 1984) is a former professional rugby league player from Australia. He played in the 2000s and 2010s. Greg was known for his strong play as a second-rower, lock, or five-eighth. He even played for the Australian national team!

Greg played for two teams in Australia's top league, the NRL: the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Gold Coast Titans. He also played for the Catalans Dragons in France's Super League. Greg was chosen to represent his state, New South Wales, in the famous State of Origin series. He also played for other special teams like the Prime Minister's XIII and the Indigenous All Stars.

Early Life and Junior Rugby League

Greg Bird was born in Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. He started playing rugby league at a young age. He played for local junior teams like the West Maitland Red Dogs and the Maitland Pumpkin Pickers.

Later, he joined the Newcastle Knights junior teams. In 2001, while still in high school, Greg was picked for the Australian Schoolboys team. This is a big honor, and he even got to be the captain!

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with the Cronulla Sharks

Greg Bird made his first big league appearance in 2002. He played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL. By 2003, he became a regular player for the team.

In 2006, Greg was voted the Sharks' player of the year. This was a great achievement, even though he missed some games due to an injury.

Representing State and Country

Greg's talent led him to play for bigger teams. In 2007, he was chosen for the New South Wales Country Origin team. Soon after, he was picked for the New South Wales team in the exciting 2007 State of Origin series. He played so well that he was named the best player in one of the games!

Later in 2007, Greg was selected for the Prime Minister's XIII team. This team plays against Papua New Guinea. That same year, he made his debut for the Australian national team (the Kangaroos) against New Zealand. He even scored a try in his first game and was named the players' player!

In 2008, Greg continued to play for Australia and New South Wales. He was a key player in the 2008 State of Origin series.

Moving to Catalans Dragons

In 2009, Greg Bird moved to France to play for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League. This was a new experience for him, playing in a different country.

Playing for the Gold Coast Titans

In 2010, Greg returned to Australia and joined the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. Fans voted him into the Indigenous All Stars team, which is a special team made up of Indigenous Australian players.

He continued to play for New South Wales and Australia. In 2010, he played two matches for Australia in the 2010 Four Nations tournament. He was a strong player for the Titans from 2010 to 2016.

Greg Bird playing for the Kangaroos in 2014

In 2013, Greg was named a co-captain for the Gold Coast Titans. He also played for Australia in the 2013 ANZAC Test. In 2014, he was part of the New South Wales team that finally won the State of Origin series shield!

At the end of 2016, Greg decided to return to the Catalans Dragons in France for his final years of professional rugby league. He retired from playing in 2019.

Career Statistics

Season	Team	Games Played	Tries	Goals	Field Goals	Points
2002	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	9	2	0	0	8
2003		21	9	2	0	40
2004		11	3	2	0	16
2005		12	1	0	0	4
2006		17	6	0	0	24
2007		20	9	2	0	40
2008		16	5	0	0	20
2009	Catalans Dragons	23	5	3	0	26
2010	Gold Coast Titans	22	3	0	1	13
2011		19	3	1	1	15
2012		17	3	0	0	12
2013		20	3	2	0	16
2014		17	3	14	0	40
2015		12	0	2	0	4
2016		22	2	1		10
2017	Catalans Dragons	18	1			4
2018		27	5			20
2019		15	2			8
	Totals	316	63	28	2	310

Honors and Achievements