RICKY Stuart yesterday pulled Greg Bird into his office. With Paul Gallen ousted by the NRL judiciary for three weeks, the Australian Test coach was looking for his next captain.
"I took him into the office to talk about it," Stuart said.
"I wanted to talk to him a little bit about what is involved and whether he wanted to do it."
Bird, the Australian Test lock, gave the coach the answer he was looking for.
"He actually said, 'I am glad you asked because I was going to come in here and ask you for it myself.' And that really excited me," Stuart said.
These days Stuart likens Bird to a "young Laurie Daley".
Yet it wasn't so long ago the kid from Maitland was branded a 'thug' whose on-field aggression looked likely to overshadow his talent.
In 2004 he kneed Souths player Shane Marteene in the head.
It was described as one of the ugliest incidents in recent years with the NRL judiciary taking just 10 minutes to dish out a 10-week suspension for the enigmatic Cronulla back-rower.
But with regular skipper Gallen on the sidelines, Bird will tomorrow captain the Sharks when they take on the Dragons - completing one of the game's most remarkable transformations.
"It is going to be pretty good," Bird said. "I am pretty stoked actually."
"Although the circumstances aren't that good with injury and suspension, I can't wait to get out there. It is something I have always wanted to do."
Since that day of stupidity back in 2004, Bird has won back the respect of peers, fans and rivals alike.
He was last year rewarded for his outstanding form with a NSW State of Origin jersey and then a Test berth.
The ugly duckling no more, Bird finally became the swan.
"My game changed a little bit last year," Bird said. "He (Stuart) introduced a bit more passing into my game and changed some things.
"I think he has taken me to the next level. He has also helped me mature as a person."
Asked if he could have ever imagined himself as an NRL captain early in his career, Bird said: "I guess I never really thought about it when I was young.
"I was just trying to concentrate on footy and get into the first-grade side.
"But my form has improved in the last couple of years and I have been playing more consistently.
"It has always been in the back of my mind that I wanted to captain at some stage. Nothing really changes. I just have more responsibility and that is something I am looking forward to.
"I enjoy talking it up at training and giving the boys a bit of a pat on the back when they deserve it."
Stuart, one of the games most respected coaches, said Bird reminded him of a young Daley.
"I didn't really know him before I got here," Stuart said.
"But he kind of had that rogue cheek that Laurie Daley had. People always wanted to follow him on the field and he needed to start getting them to follow him on the field.
"I think he is beginning to do that.
"What I like about Greg is that he is a real footballer, not an athlete.
"You can tell he grew up playing football in the backyard.
"I think he deserves the captaincy, and the opportunity."
