Gold Coast and NSW Origin hard man Greg Bird has urged officials not to over-react to the latest shoulder charge incident which has sparked renewed calls from medical experts to ban the controversial tackle before a player is seriously injured.

As rugby league’s Commission assembles a committee headed by former Sydney Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan to investigate the physical impact shoulder charges have on a player’s neck, head or brain, Bird joined other leading NRL players who felt the high-risk tackle should stay.

One of the game’s most aggressive players, Bird said one attraction rugby league had over both rugby union and AFL — which had recently introduced rule changes outlawing shoulder charges — was its toughness.

“That’s why rugby league is one of the toughest games to play because you go out every week and you’re at risk of getting hurt,” said Bird, confident of returning from a pectoral muscle injury against the Sydney Roosters on Friday night.

“I don’t think that (shoulder charge) should be taken out of the game, they’re entertaining and they put bums on seats.”

At the weekend, it put St George Illawarra’s Dean Young in a neck brace after he was smashed by the full force of South Sydney fullback Greg Inglis.

Ten players have faced the NRL judiciary so far on careless high tackle and dangerous contact charges this year.

But Bird said administrators had done a good job introducing new rules to protect players from head knocks and clear guidelines if they copped a bad blow which left them concussed.

“The people dishing out those hits are copping a couple of weeks (suspension) for it,” said Bird.

“Sooner or later coaches will tell their players not to do do it.

“But that’s what separates us from rugby union and AFL — the big contact and big collisions.

“I definitely don’t want to see it out of the game.”

Teammate Mark Minichiello shared Bird’s views.

“Whenever two big men come together you’re going to get that contact,” he said.

“The guys know it’s going to happen but I don’t think players go onto the field thinking about shoulder charges, that’s for sure.

“We don’t want to go soft, we need to keep our game tough that’s the way everyone likes it.”

Minichiello, who’ll oppose brother Anthony on Friday night, said Bird’s anticipated return would add some much-needed aggression to the side.

Bird, Nate Myles (sternum) and lock Ashley Harrison (broken toe) will all be assessed on Thursday.