Scott Morrison compares Joe Hockey to NRL’s most suspended player

ALREADY accused of trying to take the treasurer’s job, Scott Morrison has fuelled the rumour mill by comparing Joe Hockey to one of our most frequently disgraced athletes.

ALREADY accused of trying to take Joe Hockey’s job and steal his Budget night thunder, social services minister and unofficial Budget-spruiker Scott Morrison has dug the knife in even deeper, comparing the treasurer to one of the country’s most controversial and frequently disgraced sportsmen.

Mr Morrison’s heightened media profile ahead of tomorrow night’s Budget announcement, which Mr Hockey has been working on silently while pushed behind the scenes, has sparked rumours he could be taking over as treasurer.

Joe Hockey looking very happy to be working from his Treasury office on Sunday afternoon while Scott Morrison was out selling Budget measures. Pic: Gary Ramage.

There have even been reports of definitive plans to elevate the ambitious cabinet minister, which the Prime Minister has denied and Mr Morrison himself has laughed off.

But a radio interview this morning, in which Mr Morrison tried to play on the analogy that the Budget was a “team effort”, he didn’t do himself any favours in laying those rumours to rest.

“He’s our Greg Bird,” Mr Morrison told 2GB’s Ray Hadley when asked about the treasurer.

“I’ll be the prop forward taking it up and he can be the one who will score the try and that’s what he’ll be doing on budget day.”

Greg Bird: currently suspended and always controversial Gold Coast Titans ex-captain. Pic: David Clark

The analogy checks out, and is in line with Mr Morrison’s claims that he’s simply promoting budget measures directly relevant to his portfolio to be announced in what he insists is still Joe Hockey’s budget.

The thing is, Greg Bird is suspended. He’s in fact up there with the most suspended NRL players in the competition.

But that’s not all that’s wrong with the comparison. Greg Bird is a perennial bad boy. He’s better known to many for running into trouble with the law than his less-than-perfect on-field record.

Last year on his honeymoon he made headlines after being issued with a criminal infringement notice for public urination on a police vehicle.

That led him to be fined $15,000 and had his captaincy axed at current club the Gold Coast Titans.

Titans NRL player Greg Bird appears in Southport Court facing drugs charges earlier this year. Pic: Adam Head

Well before that he was accused of glassing an ex-girlfriend but had that conviction overturned. Before that he was accused of sending crude and inappropriate text messages to model Lara Bingle.

Bird is currently serving and eight-match ban after being found guilty of a dangerous throw on New Zealand’s Jason Nightingale during the Anzac Test.

Asked whether it was right to compare the treasurer to a suspended player, Mr Morrison said: “Probably is, but anyway, not to worry, he’s the guy who will be scoring the points”.

There’s no doubt Morrison realised this was a less than flattering comparison. He’s a known fan of the Cronulla Sharks, the team Bird was sacked from seven years ago.

Let's go sharks

— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) September 20, 2013

Hours after the interview, Mr Morrison has now back-pedalled on his remarks tweeting that he in fact meant Jack Bird, but we’re not buying it.

The Sharks five-eighth wouldn’t fit as neatly into Mr Morrison’s analogy and we reckon he knows his footy a little better than that.

Everyone can calm down. I meant Jack Bird, not Greg Bird. I let Ray know straight after the interview. #upupcronulla

— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) May 11, 2015

Mr Morrison was perhaps carrying on the rugby league analogy employed by the treasurer in a disastrous TV interview yesterday where he was forced to prove he was still in control of the budget Mr Morrison has been visibly spruiking.

“There are people on the sidelines who like to heckle when someone is kicking for goal to try and distract the kicker,” he told veteran reporter Laurie Oakes.

“But this kicker is going to put it through the posts.”

Mr Hockey will reveal what’s left of the Government’s second budget tomorrow night.

Really, Joe, it’s still your Budget.