James Graham for GB!

[Fairleigh Good!]

Has to be in with a shout if he keeps his current form up. The young lad is battering more experienced forwards into submission. His tackling is outstanding and he made another 50 metre break today, one of many this season. His offloading is improving heaps too.

I think this lad is as good a young forward as I have seen at St Helens. He seems to be thriving under Daniel Anderson and working with the likes of Jason Cayless and Apollo Perelini.

Brian Noble being the to$$pot he is (I can officially start to hate him now as he coaches Wigan as from tomorrow) will probably ignore Graham for his set of powerpuff fairies like Paul Johnson. Hopefully though Ginge will be in the squad come the end of the season. He thoroughly deserves it so far.

 

[buccaneer]

Awesome player and a scouser, hoping to see James down at Liverpool Buccaneers this season. Just what we need to help promote the game in Liverpool. I wouldn't be too bothered if he missed out on a call up this year. Lets get him in full swing before we unleash him on the world.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

Awesome player and a scouser, hoping to see James down at Liverpool Buccaneers this season. Just what we need to help promote the game in Liverpool. I wouldn't be too bothered if he missed out on a call up this year. Lets get him in full swing before we unleash him on the world.

Yeah, I'm not suggesting he must start, but I think it would do him good to be around people like Morley and Peacock and start to feel part of it at that level.

 

[WJ]

Definite prospect. Still not sure about his marker defence though, would get exploited to the full by the aussies.

 

[ledzep]

How is Cayless going?

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

How is Cayless going?

In my opinion, awesome.

When Wigan signed Paeleasina and Saints signed Cayless, they claimed to have the better player. A lot of people still believe that as when they watch the games they notice the one or two 20 metres rampages that Paeleasina makes.

What a lot of people don't see is the number of hitups, tackles, offloads and metres Cayless makes. All they see is the fact that he's not trampling over people.

Cayless isn't a flashy player by any means, but what he does is simple and of the highest quality. No side has even come close to matching Saints pack yet, and our defense has conceded 80 points in 9 matches. A large part of that improvement is down to the solidity Cayless brings.

 

[bartman]

Aren't GB meant to be playing some squad match mid-year versus non-British players? That would be a good opportunity to blood some guys like Graham against a virtual Kiwi rep-strength pack, and see how he goes.

 

[terracesider]

That's an interesting question Bartman. It's going to neeed marketing properly but there's been nothing reported since the first announcement. Yet another shambles in the making?

 

[bartman]

The only time I can see them being able to play this is on a weekend when there's challenge cup semi finals or something. It would actually make a great curtain raiser on cup final day itself, but somehow I can't see them thinking that way?

If this game does go ahead, then the GB side (and the non-Brit side) would be missing several first choice players, making it an excellent opportunity to get some younger players on the fringe of rep selection into the mix.

 

[buccaneer]

How is Cayless going?

Would have to agrre with Fairleigh Good, Cayless is looking awesome.

Players are crediting the Saints defence, largely to him and his attitude to defending. Willing to carry the ball up and do the hard yards too. Only bad point, is that hair. Looks like Cayless and Vinnie Anderson are both going to the same barber.

 

[Evil Homer]

Vinnie Anderson's hair was great when he signed for Saints.I don't know what he's playing at with the '70s office executive' style..

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

Vinnie has been through about seven hairstyles so far.

I preferred the afro to be honest.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

I am getting a blow by blow by international mobile phone calls/texts (I'm not paying). It seems Graham has taken over the Saints-Catalans game after wrestling control away from Fakir's angry mob.

I got a text saying, "Graham on Fakir, KING HIT, games ours!". Since then Saints have scored 30 unanswered points and I'm not sure if Fakir has returned. Beattie has taken a pummeling from Graham and Fa'asavalu too apparantly.

 

[Gaz_E]

I've been pretty impressed with Graham from what i've seen this season. If we're talking potential GB forwards i'd be looking at Paul Wood who has been immense this year for Warrington. A bloke who punches far above his weight, held his own against the Saints pack, and kept Stuart Fielden quiet the other week. He's got back to and bettered his form of 2003 when he was included in the GB ashes squad before injury ruled him out.

 

[ParraDude_Jay]

I rate Wood but he makes way too many errors to be an international prop for mine. Graham should be in the squad somewhere, even if it's just to give him a taste of what it's like without giving him a game, to make him hungrier for a debut.

 

[JasonE]

Aren't GB meant to be playing some squad match mid-year versus non-British players? That would be a good opportunity to blood some guys like Graham against a virtual Kiwi rep-strength pack, and see how he goes.

Yeah i'd like to see GB pick a team based on in form players and partly experimental, so James Graham would definitely get a spot i the 17.

Others who deserve a shot could be Andy Coley, Andy Lynch and Eorl Crabtree.

 

[kevin crouthers]

I rate Wood but he makes way too many errors to be an international prop for mine. Graham should be in the squad somewhere, even if it's just to give him a taste of what it's like without giving him a game, to make him hungrier for a debut.

you sound like you've been listening to stevo too much with his "paul wood gives away x many penalties" claim the other week.

Fact is he's probably our most disciplined forward in penalties and ball retention.

Also top metre making forward in the league i believe