James Graham.

[blacksafake]

Like most others on here I'd be more than happy to have him. All the obvious pluses have been mentioned but the other thing I've noticed about his game is he doesn't give away a lot of penalties as well as being pretty good in dominating in the tackle.

 

[Gareth67]

He wants three years I believe we would only give two. Hope he does sign with us.

Likewise 2010 , three years to me is pushing the boundaries somewhat . If he was a back he would be in the class of a Thurston or Cronk , however as we all realise the forwards are a different kettle of fish as far as their longevity is concerned .

2 years would be ideal , however as a sweetener I would be offering some type of ' mentoring ' role to him , at a reduced amount , so as he would still be involved in the game . Ideally , that role could see him give valuable knowledge to the Dragons younger forwards , similar to what Andrew Johns does .

I believe the idea would be worth some consideration by the recruitment people , rather than say " we really want you , but for 2 years only " that won't get him over the line . As the next time they , recruitment , would see him , would be in a Newcastle jersey .

 

[pinkmoon]

Every 'top 10 props in the NRL' list that i've looked at from the last few years has James Graham in the top 2 or 3. In fact in the 'NRL.com top 50 best players in the NRL' last year, Graham placed 5th.. Ahead of guys like Shaun Johnson, Taumalolo, Corey Parker and more. He was the biggest metre eater in 2014-2016. Dally M Prop of the Year in 2014. So many credentials to this guy's name.

He is probably the hardest working forward i've seen for some time. We would be absolutely insane not to go hard for him. I still think he can recapture his best form, he needs a fresh start at a new club to escape the ineffective, boring structures of the Bulldogs. As I said earlier, forwards do well at our club. Without the burden of the captaincy on his shoulders, he'll excel.

You're living in the past dude; he'll be 32 in less than a month and he is past it. Father Time catches up with the best of them and Graham wasn't the best of them anyway. He was a competitive workhorse but never an impact player, and at 32 you can bet that all that work is catching up with him. He is slower than a rainy Tuesday and a big reason why the Dogs are terrible...he yells at his teammates before throwing the ball forward or over the sideline moments later...the rest of the team are thinking "geez that spray was rich coming from you, you stupid Pommy git".

 

[possm]

8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Frizell
12. Thompson/Host
13. De Belin

Hard working. Powerful. Skilful.

1. Dufty
2. Zac Lomax - extend him now for 5 years.
3. Mann
4. Lafai
5. Macdonald
6. Widdop
7. Hunt
8. Graham - love to see him captain
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Thompson
12. Frizell
13. De Belin

14. Ah Mau
15. Lourie
16. Sims
17. Host / Sele

4 forwards on the bench all year to keep them fresh. And use every one of them each game. If a back is injured during a game, Mann to fill that position, Thompson to right centre, Sims to the left edge.

Mann is wasted on the bench and in my opinion, is the best option we have for right centre in the Club for 2018. Frizell, Hunt, Mann and Macdonald will have the whole off-season to work out their combinations both in attack and defence.

I really believe Zac Lomax can step up. He is big, strong, solid in defence and very quick,;just what we need on the left wing. He is also tall and great under the high ball. Yes he will only be 18 next year however, he is the stand out junior who will bring speed ot our left wing.

Just need a new coaching staff to make a real tilt at the title.

 

[dragonssamy61]

1. Dufty
2. Zac Lomax - extend him now for 5 years.
3. Mann
4. Lafai
5. Macdonald
6. Widdop
7. Hunt
8. Graham - love to see him captain
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Thompson
12. Frizell
13. De Belin

14. Ah Mau
15. Lourie
16. Sims
17. Host / Sele

4 forwards on the bench all year to keep them fresh. And use every one of them each game. If a back is injured during a game, Mann to fill that position, Thompson to right centre, Sims to the left edge.

Mann is wasted on the bench and in my opinion, is the best option we have for right centre in the Club for 2018. Frizell, Hunt, Mann and Macdonald will have the whole off-season to work out their combinations both in attack and defence.

I really believe Zac Lomax can step up. He is big, strong, solid in defence and very quick,;just what we need on the left wing. He is also tall and great under the high ball. Yes he will only be 18 next year however, he is the stand out junior who will bring speed ot our left wing.

Just need a new coaching staff to make a real tilt at the title.

Possm
I agree with your team.
I would like to see that team.
Also with 4 forwards we sould be doing that now.
Don't wait for next year.
It would suit the way we play.
Our player would have more impacted.
But the problem still will be .
Mary use of the bench is terrible.
Hopefully he figures it out .

 

[TheElephantSeal]

1. Dufty
2. Zac Lomax - extend him now for 5 years.
3. Mann
4. Lafai
5. Macdonald
6. Widdop
7. Hunt
8. Graham - love to see him captain
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Thompson
12. Frizell
13. De Belin

14. Ah Mau
15. Lourie
16. Sims
17. Host / Sele

4 forwards on the bench all year to keep them fresh. And use every one of them each game. If a back is injured during a game, Mann to fill that position, Thompson to right centre, Sims to the left edge.

Mann is wasted on the bench and in my opinion, is the best option we have for right centre in the Club for 2018. Frizell, Hunt, Mann and Macdonald will have the whole off-season to work out their combinations both in attack and defence.

I really believe Zac Lomax can step up. He is big, strong, solid in defence and very quick,;just what we need on the left wing. He is also tall and great under the high ball. Yes he will only be 18 next year however, he is the stand out junior who will bring speed ot our left wing.

Just need a new coaching staff to make a real tilt at the title.

Love your team possm
Would add Atkin to the bench as I think he adds more than Ah Mau in attack. Atkiin to me is the perfect bench player and with a little work could be coached to cover from hooker to centre and would add impact off the bench.

Selecting someone like Lomax would send a sign that there is a place for upcoming juniors at our club but l doubt the coaching staff are smart enough to work this out.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

You're living in the past dude; he'll be 32 in less than a month and he is past it. Father Time catches up with the best of them and Graham wasn't the best of them anyway. He was a competitive workhorse but never an impact player, and at 32 you can bet that all that work is catching up with him. He is slower than a rainy Tuesday and a big reason why the Dogs are terrible...he yells at his teammates before throwing the ball forward or over the sideline moments later...the rest of the team are thinking "geez that spray was rich coming from you, you stupid Pommy git".

You seem to be forgetting that forwards get better with age.
Gallen, 35 and still killing it.
Lawrence, 32 and in the best form of his career.
Blair, not my type of player.. But 31 and still playing strong.
Luke Lewis, 34 and absolutely killing it.
Matthew Scott and Gavin Cooper, both 32 and still playing origin.

Whether you like it or not, Graham is the best forward on the market at the moment and we would be insane not to go hard for him. Have a look at the Dogs forum. Most of them are filthy he is leaving and are furious at Des for screwing with Graham's natural game. They all agree he will probably get back to his best at another club. He is the only one genuinely having a dig out there, the whole team is stale.. That doesn't rest solely on Graham's shoulders.
You've got it all wrong here bud, every expert in the game was calling Graham one of the best forwards in the NRL, just because he isn't an impact player doesn't mean he's not a good player.
It's his workload, his ball skills, his leadership, his footwork.
We need a player like him. We need that leadership.

 

[SEAT 1A]

As has been mentioned by many others , Graham sheer determination and will to win is exactly what has been missing from the Dragons pack for a number of years now .
He is the type of player that never gives up and will always give his all .

A bigger Jeremy Smith type and add Thompson.

 

[St Georgio]

IMHO I would take the punt on a 3 yr deal with JG not 2 years and risk losing him to another club, we must act on winning another premiership NOW!

 

[dragon-83]

James Graham Signs With New Club for 2018
Bulldogs Captained is understood to have agreed to terms on a new deal that will see him depart the Bulldogs at season’s end.

Graham, 31, is believed to have agreed to terms with the St George Illawarra Dragons that will see him depart the Bulldogs where he has spent the past 6 seasons.

The Deal is understood to be a 2-year-deal with a third year option in favour of the club. Graham is set to earn up to $1 million dollars in 2018, on a back-ended deal, but the Bulldogs and Dragons have come to an agreement where the club will split his wage down the middle.

The Bulldogs are believed to be up to $1 million dollars over the salary cap and need to offload players to come under the $9.4 million cap agreed on for the 2018 season. Graham is the first casualty, with at least 2 possibly 3 more players like to follow suit.

The signing is a massive coup for the Dragons, who were looking for a replacement for Kiwi international Russell Packer, who joined the Wests Tigers on a 4-year lucrative deal.

The Dragons will now boast one of the biggest forward packs in 2018 with the inclusion of James Graham joining the likes of Jack de Belin, Paul Vaughan, Tyson Frizell, Joel Thompson and Tariq Sims.


Graham has made 124 appearances for the Bulldogs since joining the club for the 2012 season, after 225 appearances for the Super League Giants St Helens.

http://www.5thtackle.com/james-graham-signs-with-new-club-for-2018/

 

[Dragsters]

Tough as nails, mongrel, experience and a real competitor...

Forget about like for like for Packer, Graham is an upgrade for probably less money!

2 year deal with a third option in the club's favour is the best outcome for us.

His experience will prove invaluable, especially his impact on our young junior forwards.

Opportunism perhaps, but credit to Millward for this one...

 

[thebigredv]

Very happy if true.

 

[Dragsters]

I know it's only a 5th tackle story but everything is pointing to him actually signing.

Besides, it's been far too long since we've had a Big Red in the Big Red V...

 

[pinkmoon]

You seem to be forgetting that forwards get better with age.
Gallen, 35 and still killing it.
Lawrence, 32 and in the best form of his career.
Blair, not my type of player.. But 31 and still playing strong.
Luke Lewis, 34 and absolutely killing it.
Matthew Scott and Gavin Cooper, both 32 and still playing origin.

Whether you like it or not, Graham is the best forward on the market at the moment and we would be insane not to go hard for him. Have a look at the Dogs forum. Most of them are filthy he is leaving and are furious at Des for screwing with Graham's natural game. They all agree he will probably get back to his best at another club. He is the only one genuinely having a dig out there, the whole team is stale.. That doesn't rest solely on Graham's shoulders.
You've got it all wrong here bud, every expert in the game was calling Graham one of the best forwards in the NRL, just because he isn't an impact player doesn't mean he's not a good player.
It's his workload, his ball skills, his leadership, his footwork.
We need a player like him. We need that leadership.

A couple of things you seem to be forgetting.

SOME forwards get better with age; Nate Myles is a good example of how some forwards get horribly slow and require a nurse at the ready, to assist them into bed of a night time.

One other thing; this is the Dragons. Much like Parramatta over the years (who have a history of destroying careers), players come to Saints and the likes of McGregor get to them...before long they're a shadow of their former self and playing "Dragons footy". Graham would do better to rub deep heat into Mary's bald head then he would be taking footy advice of this fool.

I agree that Graham was one of the best props in the game, but "was" is the operative word here, I fear.

 

[getsmarty]

I would take Graham at the right price along with one more forward for cover.

 

[RedV Resurgence]

Tough as nails, mongrel, experience and a real competitor...

Forget about like for like for Packer, Graham is an upgrade for probably less money!

2 year deal with a third option in the club's favour is the best outcome for us.

His experience will prove invaluable, especially his impact on our young junior forwards.

Opportunism perhaps, but credit to Millward for this one...

yes we have bagged Millwood (can we call him Milli Vanilli?), but he seems to have more foresight in what is happening than most on here, including me.

 

[getsmarty]

yes we have bagged Millwood (can we call him Milli Vanilli?), but he seems to have more foresight in what is happening than most on here, including me.

Millward has his act together. IMHO he was right in the Dugan contract saga with his evaluation. Only negative was how it played out in the media which may not have been his fault as player managers often leak info to the media. Millward has done a very good job. Even the signing of Hunt ( which was for a lot less than what is quoted in the media ) was well handled.

Pity he is not in charge of coaching recruitment....That way we could get rid of the Rookie and sign someone half decent.

 

[mobels]

A couple of things you seem to be forgetting.

SOME forwards get better with age; Nate Myles is a good example of how some forwards get horribly slow and require a nurse at the ready, to assist them into bed of a night time.

One other thing; this is the Dragons. Much like Parramatta over the years (who have a history of destroying careers), players come to Saints and the likes of McGregor get to them...before long they're a shadow of their former self and playing "Dragons footy". Graham would do better to rub deep heat into Mary's bald head then he would be taking footy advice of this fool.

I agree that Graham was one of the best props in the game, but "was" is the operative word here, I fear.

Nate Myles doesn't suit the argument as he's been lackluster at club level for the past 5+ years and never reached similar heights as Graham has. Graham's been average this year in an extremely poor team with no gameplan, whilst also being plagued by injury. He'll look much better next year.

None of the forwards in our pack have gone backwards since joining the Red V and I see no difference here (Mary seems able to coach forwards but he can't coach our backs)

 

[VodkaSaint]

 

[kenz272]

IMHO I would take the punt on a 3 yr deal with JG not 2 years and risk losing him to another club, we must act on winning another premiership NOW!

Why not give him 2 years and a thrid in the clubs favour mif he is playing good enough he can have the thrid year