Greg Bird's sister blames Cronulla Sharks
Stuart Honeysett and Brent Read |
August 28, 2008
THE family of Greg Bird has broken its silence on the alleged assault which threatens the career of the Cronulla lock, claiming the club and the NRL deserve to wear some of the blame.
Speaking from the family home near Maitland, Bird's sister, Lacey, 19, yesterday said she was disappointed her older brother was being publicly vilified for allegedly glassing the face of his American girlfriend, Katie Milligan.
Bird, 24, has been stood down indefinitely by the Sharks, with the matter to be heard in court on October 8.
Regardless of the outcome, Bird faces having his four-year contract, believed to be worth
$350,000 a season, torn up while the NRL has indicated it could ban him for life if he is found guilty.
Bird's sister said the league and the Sharks should also be held to account, claiming they were part of the system that took her brother out of the family home and moved him to Sydney when he was 17.
"A teenage kid has to go straight to an adult looking after themselves," Lacey Bird said.
"All the clubs really do is dump them at a home and tell them what training days they've got.
"They're not really looking after them. They're just dumping them at places. If they want to take teenage kids away from their families at such a young age, they should take responsibility for their actions."
The comments from Bird's family were challenged last night by both the NRL and the Sharks.
"Clubs are constantly looking to improve their practices in dealing with the transition for young players," NRL chief executive David Gallop said.
"The youth competition is built around education and welfare requirements.
"Certainly, clubs are conscious of the need to continually invest in these programs."
Sharks chief executive Tony Zappia absolved his club of any blame, pointing out
Bird had undertaken the NRL's education and welfare programs.
"
You need to remember that Greg wasn't stolen from his family," Zappia said.
"
His family would have had some input into his decision to leave home and come to Sydney. I can understand his sister's concern because blood is thicker than water."
Bird is extremely close to his family and it was only last year that he took his mother, Iris, to the Dally M Awards at Sydney's Town Hall.
Lacey Bird said her mother, who has remarried after separating from Bird's father, was too distraught to talk about the situation and it had also been a tough time for the rest of
the family.
Lacey said she was not worried about facing a potential public backlash for standing up for her brother.
"I'm 100 per cent up to do this for him and for my mum," she said. "I've spoken to him a few times. He's in a pretty bad state as well. He's telling me not to worry but how am I meant not to worry about him?"
While Bird remains in hiding, his manager Gavin Orr was yesterday forced to release a statement denying he had acted improperly by making contact with Milligan.
Orr was photographed leaving Prince of Wales Hospital on Tuesday night, prompting police to investigate his actions. Orr said through his management group that he had not and would not act in an unlawful manner.
Bird's reputation continues to suffer as a result of the allegations. The NSW five-eighth had been nominated for an indigenous award but yesterday his nomination was suspended pending the outcome of his court hearing.
Bird was one of four nominees in the outstanding achievement in NRL category at the annual Deadly Awards.
The Deadly Awards will be held on October 9, the day after Bird's court case is scheduled to begin
source:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24251804-2722,00.html
