CRONULLA sensation Jack Bird has revealed how he is struggling with confidence and two battered shoulders on the eve of the club’s biggest game of the season.
Bird was brutally honest when assessing his post-Origin form, with the young centre failing to make an offload in his past seven matches, while also missing an average of 3.7 tackles and making just nine tackle busts.
The 21-year-old’s frustrations boiled over when he snapped at experienced Sharks teammate James Maloney last Monday week, with his on-field blow-up impossible to miss during Fox Sports’ live coverage.
Bird is confident he can burst back to life against Melbourne on Saturday night in a blockbuster game that will determine the minor premiership.
Jack Bird at Sharks training on Tuesday.
But the gifted centre said his shoulders had caused him plenty of grief since the round nine clash against Brisbane.
He recently underwent neck scans to try to pinpoint the problem, with Bird managing the double injury with a mixture of light weights, anti-inflammatories and physio.
If the Shire club are to finally break their premiership drought, they will need Bird firing out wide on the right with Valentine Holmes.
“I’m not making excuses, but I do have two sore shoulders, and my rotator cuff keeps pinching the nerves in both of them,’’ Bird said on Tuesday.
“That plays with my confidence a bit with running and tackling.
“I fell on my left shoulder against the Broncos, then the next run (Matt) Gillett got me in the neck and it pinched my right nerve. Ever since I’ve been falling on them at training.
“I can’t really shoulder press, so I’ve been doing light weights and then trying to get heavier.
“It’s been playing on my mind.
“I’m missing tackles and not making as many metres or runs or tackle breaks, I think that comes down to confidence.
“Hopefully this week is where it starts. We’re coming up against a strong outfit in the Storm, we’re heading into the finals, and it’s the best time to come out of my shell and play my best footy again.
“I’m down on confidence and upset with the way I’ve been playing lately. I don’t need anybody to tell me that because I know it personally. I think if people tell me that it gets back in my head.
Jack Bird in State of Origin action for NSW.
“I know what I need to do and trying to get back to it now.’’
Bird was crowned last year’s NRL rookie of the year, and rewarded this year with a State of Origin call-up.
The sight of Bird in full flight has troubled plenty of teams, especially with Holmes in support.
Bird said his defensive lapses had only put Holmes under more pressure.
Saturday night is sure to be spiteful with plenty of niggle and shoving around the ruck a feature in recent clashes.
As for future on-field meltdowns, Bird said he would try to ‘’cool down a bit and carry myself in a different manner’’, and quipped: “People like James (Maloney) make me angry.’’
