SHARKS lock Greg Bird feared the worst when a driving tackle by South Sydney five-eighth Ben Rogers left him writhing in pain on the Telstra Stadium turf.
Bird remained on the ground for almost a minute after Rogers put all his weight on the Sharks player's left shoulder in a 62nd-minute tackle during Souths' 16-12 NRL win.
The New South Wales State of Origin forward said the initial pain made him fear for his season, but he was able to see out the game and declared himself fully fit for selection when the Blues team is picked on Tuesday.
"I was just worried about the pain ... I have had some injury concerns over the last couple of years and I haven't completed a season yet, and that was what I was worried about," Bird said.
"It just tightened up a bit and it scared me a little bit but it came back to normal."
Bird said that Rogers had apologised several times for the tackle.
"He said sorry a couple of times when I was on the ground, and after the game he came up and said sorry," Bird said.
"I don't think there was any malice in it.
"I think he was just trying to knock my fend down, and locked me up a bit and got me in an uncomfortable position.
"It was one of those things in footy where your body gets put into compromising positions and you can't do much about it.
"It's contact sport and you have to take the good with the bad."
