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http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/03a90c5ef1fd696168db26bc2feba70d
JACK Bird has declared his decision to sever ties with St George Illawarra as the greatest call of his fledgling career.
Bird, 21, who makes his Origin debut tonight, stunned Dragons officials in 2014 by signing a two-year deal with archrivals Cronulla.
A Wollongong local junior, Bird was the Dragons’ under-20s captain and having been chosen in NSW representative sides since the age of 15, was always destined to play NRL.
But with Josh Dugan holding down the Dragons’ fullback jumper, Bird didn’t want to wait for his shot any longer and jumped at a promise from Sharks coach Shane Flanagan of an NRL-squad position.
Less than six months later, Bird announced himself as a future star, making his debut in round four of the 2015 season from the Sharks interchange bench.
The following week, he started the match at five-eighth, scoring two tries against the Sydney Roosters.
By the end of the year, he would be named NRL rookie of the year.
“I think back now and if I stayed at the Dragons I probably wouldn’t have got the chances I had at the Sharks,’’ Bird said. “I wouldn’t have played five-eighth at the Dragons, I wouldn’t have set the mark I have today.
“The Sharks is the best move I’ve ever made, 100 per cent. I’ve met a lot of good blokes, they’re all my best mates now.’’
Bird, who has played just 36 NRL matches, follows in the footsteps of NSW legend Brad Fittler and champion forward Bradley Clyde, to claim a state jumper after their rookie season.
Fittler was chosen for the Blues after 12 matches, while Clyde made his Origin debut after 21 NRL games.
Bird, alongside Paul Gallen, Andrew Fifita and James Maloney, is one of four Sharks to represent NSW on Wednesday night. It is the most amount of Cronulla players to step out for the Blues in 16 years.
Gallen said Bird’s week has been made easier by being surrounded by so many familiar faces.
“I remember my debut I came in on my own into a team that had been together for three or four years and I felt like an outsider,’’ Gallen said.
“And he’s come in and he’s got us boys to hang around and bounce things off. He’s a pretty cool, calm and collected kid anyway so I think it’s really good for him to be playing in this environment.
“He’s got a lot of confidence with where he’s at the moment and every knows how tough he is, he’ll handle this just fine.’’