Gold Coast officials genuinely believe they can earn a downgrade on Greg Bird’s dangerous throw charge at the NRL judiciary.
Coach John Cartwright denied the decision to risk a six-match ban by challenging the grading of Bird’s charge was motivated by a desire to salvage the NSW back-rower’s State of Origin hopes.
A successful bid will mean Bird misses the Titans’ Queensland derby against Brisbane this Friday and the Origin series opener on May 28.
If the challenge is unsuccessful however, Bird will not only be unavailable for the Titans until round 18 but his ban will carry across all three Origin fixtures.
Cartwright said the club wouldn’t be challenging the grading for the lifting tackle on South Sydney’s Bryson Goodwin unless they honestly felt they had a strong case to argue.
“The Origin thing doesn’t come into it for us,” Cartwright said.
“It’s a by-product of what we can get the charge down to. We’re here to do our best for the Titans and if that means Birdy can play Origin, well so be it.
“We wouldn’t be going down there if we didn’t think we had a case.”
Cartwright said the club would use “examples” since round seven to prove Bird’s offence was not worth a grade three charge.
It’s believed a lifting tackle on Titan Aidan Sezer by Wests Tigers’ Tim Simona when the two teams met at Leichhardt Oval last month will be among those highlighted.
Simona received a grade two dangerous throw charge for the tackle where he put a hand between Sezer’s leg and the pivot’s head was the first point of contact with the ground.
Club teammate and Origin rival Nate Myles backed the move, saying Bird’s value as a player made it a worthwhile risk if there’s a good chance of reducing any time he spends on the sidelines.
“It’s fantastic the club is challenging the grading of the tackle,” Myles said.
“Birdy out of any side is going to be a massive loss.
“He’s a fantastic competitor, that’s why he’s so good.”
Souths will also head to the judiciary to challenge the grading of Apisai Koroisau’s dangerous throw charge, arising from a tackle on Bird in last Saturday’s game at Robina.
A successful downgrade will reduce the charge to grade one and allow Koroisau to avoid suspension with a guilty plea.
If unsuccessful, however, he will be banned for three weeks.
Melbourne’s Ben Hampton will miss two matches after entering a guilty plea on his grade two dangerous throw charge with Storm teammates Cameron Smith and Billy Slater avoiding suspension after early guilty pleas on their respective grade one offences.
Tigers player Akauola Sitaleki, North Queensland’s Jason Taumalolo, Penrith’s Peter Wallace and Newcastle’s Adam Clydesdale all entered guilty pleas on their grade one charges and will avoid suspension.
Parramatta’s Mitchell Allgood and Cronulla’s Anthony Tupou have been given grade one dangerous contact charges following Monday’s clash between the Eels and Sharks.
They have until Wednesday afternoon to decide how they plead, although they will both be free to play this weekend with an early guilty plea.