State of Origin: NSW forward Greg Bird takes aim at ‘hypocrite’ Brent Tate

BRENT Tate landed this punch on Greg Bird two years ago and NSW are fuming that he has been made the poster boy for player safety in Queensland.

THIS is the man Queenslanders have made the poster boy for player safety and integrity.

Brent Tate, who unleashed an unprovoked punch on a defenceless Greg Bird two years ago, is the same player who demanded the NRL take strong action against Josh Reynolds for his lifting tackle in game one that upended the Maroons winger.

Igniting interstate rivalry before State of Origin II on Wednesday night, Blues enforcer Bird labelled Tate a “hypocrite” for publicly criticising Reynolds’ tackle and calling for the NRL to “crack down on it”.

The NRL match review committee charged Reynolds with a grade two dangerous throw but he had it downgraded at a judiciary hearing, meaning he missed one game but is free to play on Wednesday night.

The NSW camp remains filthy that Tate publicly aired his views and Bird on Monday recalled the ugly incident during Origin in 2012 when Tate punched him in the face.

Brent Tate punches Greg Bird.

NSW centre Michael Jennings called it a “dog shot” at the time, but Bird — who admits he loves “the punches, the cheap shots” — remained silent, until Monday.

“I found it quite hypocritical, I guess,” Bird said of Tate’s comments about Reynolds.

“He obviously had an agenda that he was trying, whether he was trying to get someone suspended to miss the game. But ‘Grubby’ (Reynolds) is playing, Tatey’s playing, he hasn’t got any damage to him.

“I think he landed on his arse.

“I didn’t see too much wrong with it. The way he landed he was put in a dangerous position obviously. I think it warranted the grade one but nothing more.”

When Bird was king hit during the 2012 Origin III decider, Greg Inglis had grounded him in a tackle when Tate came over the top, held the NSW back-rower’s hand and unloaded a wild punch that hit him in the temple.

“I remind him (Tate) every time we go into a Test match,” Bird said.

“That’s football mate, that doesn’t worry me. The punches, the cheap shots, that’s what I love about the game.

“I wish a lot of it wasn’t taken out of the game by the officials and I’m sure 98 per cent of the people watching the game would love to see that style of play brought back to the arena. But the way the times are these days, these things have passed.”

Tate, who was flipped in the air during the tackle by Reynolds and NSW forward Beau Scott, ripped ­into Reynolds.

“I have never been more frightened in all my life,” Tate said. “My legs were shaking for the next 10 minutes after that. If we are serious about trying to stamp this out, they will crack down on it.

“I was legitimately shaken up.”

Originally published as State of Origin: NSW forward Greg Bird takes aim at ‘hypocrite’ Brent Tate