James Graham

[franklin2323]

After the GF James Graham said he is coming to the NRL and wants a club. I think we should sign him. He goes good a strong showing in the 4n and he can name his price

 

[Spitty]

If you lost 4 GF's in a row, you'd be looking for a new club too.

If he can play backrow we'll have him, but I've only seen him play prop and we don't need to be wasting valuable salary cap space on another prop.

 

[Big Mick]

I want him.

I've been wanting him for a long time to come play here.

Hard nosed, athletic, imo better prospect than Burgess.

In the future we could have Graham & Grant props with McKendry and Vaurasii off the bench. lol. Dominant!

 

[anjado]

Graham is a quality player, unfortunately front row is one position where we are very strong. But if he came to the NRL i have no doubt he would be one of the best prop's easily. I would still take him.

 

[franklin2323]

He can play 2nd row aswell. Like Burgess prob a 2nd rower for now when Petero goes move him forward

 

[Fibroman]

If he can break the line and pop a pass we need him, because at the moment, in attack the only players in our pack (aside from Pritchard who is gorne) that look dangerous in attack are Lewis and McKendry.

From what I saw from the Windsor boys this year, I'd be giving Josh Bateman a call up next year. Gives 100% and actually puts a dent in the defensive line when he takes them on.

 

[Non Terminator]

I want him.

I've been wanting him for a long time to come play here.

Hard nosed, athletic, imo better prospect than Burgess.

In the future we could have Graham & Grant props with McKendry and Vaurasii off the bench. lol. Dominant!

It'll be like last year when we see him in the Four Nations.
We've gone after him, which club wouldn't want him.
Amazing player.

 

[Big Mick]

Exactly.

He oozes class. He is fantastic and would make a real impact on the NRL.

 

[stretcher]

Graham is a quality player, unfortunately front row is one position where we are very strong. But if he came to the NRL i have no doubt he would be one of the best prop's easily. I would still take him.

If you think having Matt Bell and Frank Puletua as front rowers is a better option than Graham you are in wonderland he is brilliant against aussies everytime he plays us and he is young a typical front rower and those two for mentioned are just first graders who wouldnt get a run at any other club fullstop..and have a look at all the other front rowers in other teams please and petero wont be there forever......signup graham

 

[Fibroman]

We won't sign him, as he is a quality player and would require more than our standard offer of 150k a season.

 

[murraymob]

leary has already stated we are after only second tier players

 

[Fibroman]

leary has already stated we are after only second tier players

And that is why I am not confident about us making the 8 in 2011. Lewis or Jennings pick up a serious injury and we are no chance whatsoever.

 

[anjado]

If you think having Matt Bell and Frank Puletua as front rowers is a better option than Graham you are in wonderland he is brilliant against aussies everytime he plays us and he is young a typical front rower and those two for mentioned are just first graders who wouldnt get a run at any other club fullstop..and have a look at all the other front rowers in other teams please and petero wont be there forever......signup graham

Where did i say Matt Bell and Frank Puletua were better players then James Graham, I know how good James Graham is i know he is one of the best Front Rowers in the world, Yes Petero won't be around forever but he shows no signs of slowing down who is to say he couldn't play beyond the two years he signed for ? I believe he is capable, We along with Canberra have the best Front rowers in the competition, It is a position for us which is strong.

I would be happy to sign James Graham but i believe before we need a front rower, We need a Halfback,Five Eighth or a Second Rower.

We could have a front row rotation of Petero,Grant,McKendry and Graham but we still wouldn't win the competition whilst we have Luke Walsh and Travis Burns in the halves.

This is my point, Not oh my god poor old Frank Puletua who we should never have resigned from Souths in the first place, It's funny people thought we would win the comp when we had two players not deemed good enough for our last Premiership winning squad in the 17 most weeks.

Whilst James Graham would be an excellent signing Front Row isn't the priority, We need a half more then a Prop we would be better off with a Kyle Eastmond or Sam Tomkins then a James Graham. I think he is a great player Graham but like i said we already have the best prop in the NRL as well as two of the best young ones.

He would be a perfect replacement for Petero but Petero is still the best and still could be in two years time. Plus from what i gather on Graham he is more of a 60-80 minute forward, If he were to become an 80 minute forward which there is a possibility then we would have no need for 4 front rowers.

 

[Big Mick]

We could have a front row rotation of Petero,Grant,McKendry and Graham but we still wouldn't win the competition whilst we have Luke Walsh and Travis Burns in the halves.

Firstly...to address this point...yes we could.

We proven this year we can win when our forwards are going forward. No halfback looks decent when playing behind a beaten pack. Look at Mitchell Pearce in the GF. Everyone was jizzing in their pants about ohhh Mitchell Pearce is god...looked worse than Walsh in the GF and was more of a speed hump with 8 missed tackles.

With Graham, it'd provide an instant piece for success now and into the future.

With Petero, I disagree. I think he is starting to show his age and that showed in the back end of last year. The last 6-7 games he played, he was coming off the field 5 minutes earlier than usual. He didn't seem to have that same gusto. I dunno why that is...but it rubbed off onto the team.

I'd rather have Graham as a ready made replacement with the ability to play backrow next year and push forward to prop in 2012 than I would hold onto Petero 1 year too long imo.

I will agree however about Kyle Eastmond and Sam Tompkins but I feel they are way to young to be able to adjust to an NRL level. They'd look worse than Walsh. Chris Thorman was meant to be the second coming of Sterling coming out of the ESL whilst dominating for Huddersfield. Came out here and was a massive bust. Big difference between backs and forwards coming out here to play, than Halves.

 

[franklin2323]

leary has already stated we are after only second tier players

He says that but he would be more stupid then I think he is to knock back an off-contract international that wants in to the NRL

 

[franklin2323]

Big Mick exactly. The Less work we can need Petero to do the better. Don't get me wrong he is still a great player but if we can get him doing less hitups. The hitups he takes will have more gutso in them.

As for our 1/2's. I have no problem with them. Walsh 'struggled' yet was a mile in front in try assists. We just need to get a 5/8 to run and pass more and they will offset each other better.

At least we aren't a one man team. Some games it's Walsh next it's Lewis then Jennings or Coote. Look at the Dally M points we had a good mix of players on the same level

 

[anjado]

Firstly...to address this point...yes we could.

We proven this year we can win when our forwards are going forward. No halfback looks decent when playing behind a beaten pack. Look at Mitchell Pearce in the GF. Everyone was jizzing in their pants about ohhh Mitchell Pearce is god...looked worse than Walsh in the GF and was more of a speed hump with 8 missed tackles.

With Graham, it'd provide an instant piece for success now and into the future.

With Petero, I disagree. I think he is starting to show his age and that showed in the back end of last year. The last 6-7 games he played, he was coming off the field 5 minutes earlier than usual. He didn't seem to have that same gusto. I dunno why that is...but it rubbed off onto the team.

I'd rather have Graham as a ready made replacement with the ability to play backrow next year and push forward to prop in 2012 than I would hold onto Petero 1 year too long imo.

I will agree however about Kyle Eastmond and Sam Tompkins but I feel they are way to young to be able to adjust to an NRL level. They'd look worse than Walsh. Chris Thorman was meant to be the second coming of Sterling coming out of the ESL whilst dominating for Huddersfield. Came out here and was a massive bust. Big difference between backs and forwards coming out here to play, than Halves.

You cannot win the competition without quality halves it is proven.

2010 : Soward & Hornby
2009 : Finch & Cronk
2008 : Lyon & Orford
2007 : Inglis & Cronk
2006 : Lockyer & Perry
2005 : Marshall & Prince
2004 : Anasta & Sherwin
2003 : Campbell & Gower
2002 : Fittler & Wing
2001 : Rudder & Johns
2000 : Ikin & Walters
1999 : Geyer & Kimmorley
1998 : Walters & Langer
1997 : Johns & Johns + Walters & Langer
1996 : Kosef & Toovey
1995 : Lamb & Polla-Mounter
1994 : Daley & Stuart
1993 : Walters & Langer
1992 : Walters & Langer
1991 : Carter & Alexander
1990 : O'Sullivan & Stuart
1989 : O'Sullivan & Stuart
1988 : Lamb & Hagan
1987 : Lyons & Hasler
1986 : Kenny & Sterling
1985 : Hagan & Mortimer
1984 : Lamb & Mortimer
1983 : Kenny & Sterling
1982 : Kenny & Sterling
1981 : Kenny & Sterling
1980 : Hughes & Mortimer

This is every Premiership winning halves combination for the past 30 years, Out of all of 41 players to have been in the halves a Grand Final only 9 have never played at least State of Origin level.

Garry Hughes
Chris O'Sullivan
Craig Polla-Mounter
Sean Rudder
Preston Campbell
Brent Sherwin
Shane Perry
Jamie Soward
Matt Orford

Out of these names Preston Campbell Dally M Winner, Matt Orford also won the Dally M Medal, Jamie Soward still might play State of Origin.

Out of that list the only truly bad halves to win a premiership have been Sean Rudder and Shane Perry, But they had two of the best players ever to help them along so it didn't matter.

Lets face it if Penrith were to win the competition next year they would of won it with the worst halves pairing maybe of all time to win the premiership.

Now to James Graham of course he would improve the team i am not arguing that a player of such quality would improve any team. Our forward pack would be awesome but our forward pack is arguably already one of the best three in the competition. We already have a better forward pack then all the teams which finished in the top 4 in my opinion.

I disagree you say he lacked oomph, You have to remember he still hasn't retired from rep football which he might do soon. Which should add another couple of years to his career. You have to give the guy the benefit of the doubt you say he lacked oomph but if he plays against Canberra i think we win the game.

Also Petero made more metres per hit up then any other front rower in the comp whilst he is doing that he isn't slowing down. He also missed 8 matches this season due to injury suspension etc, Still made nearly as many metres as Shillington despite playing 4 less matches.

He is still the man when it comes to front rowers and deserves the benefit of the doubt. Statistically he still makes the same impact and when he wasn't there they missed him badly against the Raiders the forwards weren't that bad in the first half against the Roosters really.

I'm also not sure about Graham in the back row most back rowers these days are inside centre's. He would improve the work rate of the team but he would be replacing the laziest player at the club.

Comparing Chris Thorman to Kyle Eastmond or Sam Tomkins is ridiculous, one Thorman wasn't an international when he came to the NRL he was a bright young prospect, i don't know who called him the next Sterling but every Half who has played for Parramatta since has been labelled the next Sterling from Tim Smith to Jason Bell to Stu Galbraith.

Eastmond and Tomkins are much further on in there development then Thorman was, Eastmond and Tomkins were both very good in the tri nations last season, Proof is usually players who look great against Australia do great in the NRL, Ellis,Morley,Burgess.

Those who never get the chance or are on the fringes of the England squad do less well in the NRL, Thorman,Mathers etc, They are too young to cope with the Vigours where as at least Tomkins and Eastmond have experience of facing the best.

My hope when Matt Elliott took over was that we might get a quality English player, It's disappointing we haven't gotten one Hock would of been great.

I would be over the moon if Graham signed don't get me wrong we never make good signings, Graham would be a massive coop i just feel other position are of far greater urgency and i still believe a team with Burns and Walsh as the halves cannot win the competition, This is the main area that needs fixing and in my opinion it should be at five eighth.

 

[franklin2323]

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Jamie Lyon, Shane Perry, Sean Rudder, Inglis aren't even decent halves. Orford, Soward not even in SOO. Hornby not seen in rep teams for a good 4 years.

At best they were good 1st graders. Rudder, Inglis and Lyon were only makeshift 1/2's.

Did you not see Walsh's game improve in 12 months?? It was his 1st full season in NRL. We need a 6 if we get a running/passing 6 to compliment his kicking game we will improve so much

 

[Big Mick]

I agree with your last line...we need to change the five-eight.

IMO Walsh made great strides in the last 12 months with this team that he prior to this season never had an off-season with.

He will improve.

We need a better five-eight that takes pressure off Walsh so he doesn't need to do everything.

That's why we should have kept Graham.

 

[franklin2323]

I agree with your last line...we need to change the five-eight.

IMO Walsh made great strides in the last 12 months with this team that he prior to this season never had an off-season with.

He will improve.

We need a better five-eight that takes pressure off Walsh so he doesn't need to do everything.

That's why we should have kept Graham.

Walsh is confortable kicking so get a running 6. Taumata is a running 6 so hopefully he lifts the performance of the 1/2's.

I like Burns but he isn't the 6 for us not sure where to play him