'Don't know much': Jack Bird backtracks on awkward criticism of Dragons fans
Dragons star Jack Bird has apologised to St George Illawarra fans for disparaging comments he made about them at a media conference.
Bird fronted the media on Wednesday afternoon, ahead of the club's game against the Cowboys in Townsville on Saturday.
The Dragons have slipped to 16th on the ladder on the back of five straight losses, with only points differential keeping them off the bottom of the table.
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Embattled coach Anthony Griffin is seemingly facing the axe as soon as next week, bringing to an end an unhappy two-and-a-half years in charge.
When questioned about Griffin's future, Bird took aim at the club's supporters.
"Fans don't really know too much about footy I don't think. They've got a lot to say about people on the field," he said on Wednesday.
"I don't think they have ever played a game of footy. I am just speaking from first-hand stuff that I have been copping. I feel sorry for Hook [Griffin]. It is us [players] out there playing, so we should be the ones [fans] are baying for."
Jack Bird is backtracking after disparaging remarks about St George Illawarra fans. Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Bird backtracked on his criticism.
"I want to say sorry to the fans for upsetting them," he said. "In no way, shape or form did I mean to make comments coming at the fans personally, I was just trying to stick up for my coach.
"What I said is not what I meant, I just wanted to clarify it. It came out the wrong way, I got tripped up a bit in the way I expressed myself, I didn't mean it in that way.
"I just want to clear everything up. Hook is not just my coach, he's my friend as well."
Bird said his comments came out the wrong way as he tried to support Griffin.
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Anthony Griffin is expected to be axed as St George Illawarra coach. NRL Imagery
"When you have a coach, you always try to back them, no matter what. He's obviously under a lot of pressure and I don't want to dog my own coach or see other people talk shit about him. I was just sticking up for him.
"I'm fine with stuff coming my way. But people don't understand that with Hook going through a rough patch with football, he may be struggling with stuff outside of footy as well. That can push somebody over the edge.
"It wasn't that fans don't know what they are talking about, it was that they may not know what's going on behind the scenes in someone's personal life."
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