James Graham

[Dragon David]

Nope. Doesn’t make sense to me why he’d be leaving now

See Dragonslayer post.

 

[Dragon David]

As far as I know British Citizens can fly in but have to dp 14 day quarantine. The ESL is suggested to kick off again in August, so: leave now, do14 day quarantine some "pre-season" training after that and ready for game 1.

The question remains that he was going to be allowed to leave only once we sucured his replacement. So, who is it?

Yes, interesting development coming up possibly!!??

 

[possm]

I want AFB back, he would be a good bookend for Vaughan with Kerr, Merrin, Lawrie and Blacker on the bench when size matters.

Why not try Ford at left centre?

 

[thebigredv]

Yes, interesting development coming up possibly!!??

Ruan Sims?

 

[Richard Gay Was God]

He can now start putting Vaseline on his shorts again. Thanks for the memories, I guess the question now is who did we sign in his place?

Who genuinely cares? That was just the spin. He was never waiting for a replacement. He’s a dud clogging up our list and taking games away from anyone who has potential. Should have been discarded two years ago but was a McGregor love child just like Aitken so was never in danger of being dropped

 

[Gareth67]

Who genuinely cares? That was just the spin. He was never waiting for a replacement. He’s a dud clogging up our list and taking games away from anyone who has potential. Should have been discarded two years ago but was a McGregor love child just like Aitken so was never in danger of being dropped

Well if that was indeed the case then whose stupidity was it that allowed him to be selected week in and week out ?

No need to answer the question as we are all fully aware of the fool , however for the record the man put everything into his games including his heart and soul - something that is a very rare commodity in this day and age .

The Dragons will be all the more poorer for his leaving .

 

[getsmarty]

James Graham confirms immediate NRL departure, returns to St Helens

Provided by Sporting News
Veteran forward James Graham has confirmed he has played his last game in the NRL after he reached an agreement to re-join English Super League side, St Helens.


It's a low-key exit for the vastly experienced Dragon, who has plied his trade in Australia since 2012.

The prop spoke to NRL360 about why he made the tough decision to suddenly depart the club.

"There were a few scenarios going around and some cause-and-effect situations back home and I had to think things through," Graham said on Monday.

"I had to work out what I wanted to do and what effect it would have back home and also on the Dragons as well.

"It wasn’t an easy decision, but this gives me the opportunity to go home and finish my career where it all started and play out the next six months and then move on to the next chapter."

Graham, 34, made his first-grade debut with St Helens way back in 2003, playing 224 games before making the move to Australia.

Initial doubts over his ability to mix it in the NRL were quickly put to bed as he established himself as one of the competition's premier big men in 135 games with the Bulldogs.

He moved to St George Illawarra ahead of the 2018 season, playing 51 more games, including a historic 400th first-grade appearance.

With 50 international caps to his name, Graham will go down as one of great modern-day forwards.

Leaving a Dragons side currently struggling, Graham backed the embattled club to turn their fortunes around.

"Yeah it was tough, I’m not normally a quitter and I hope this doesn’t percieve me as one," Graham said.

"You’ve got a coach there who I would walk to the end of the earth for and a playing group that I am incredibly bonded to.

"I think good times are around the corner. But I had to make it about me and the opportunity that was presented to me in order to go home and finish my career there."

While there weren't many there to see him off, Graham farewelled Australia a winner as the Red V claimed a 20-8 win over the Titans in round six.


https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/new...rl-departure-returns-to-st-helens/ar-BB15PpGf

 

[getsmarty]

St George Illawarra Dragons star James Graham to return to St Helen ‘where it all started’
James Graham has likely played his last NRL game but the St Helens signing has revealed why he’s leaving and why he came to Australia in the first place.


Andrew McMurtry@AndrewMcMurtry

news.com.auJune 22, 202010:03pm

Hard-nosed St George Illawarra Dragons forward James Graham will leave the NRL immediately in order to play out the remainder of the season with St Helens in the UK Super League.

Graham played 224 games for St Helens, the club he was “a fan since before I knew what rugby league was” before moving to Australia to play 186 games with the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Dragons.

Graham also played 50 Test matches for Great Britain in an amazing career, aiming to finish the season with St Helens.

While many believe Graham’s career will be over after this season, the 34-year-old said he would be back to Australia after his stint.

In emotional scenes on the weekend, Graham was embraced by his teammates and coaches in a great tribute to the tough forward after he shocked many last week when he announced he’d asked for an immediate release.

James Graham was never one to back down.Source:Getty Images

Speaking on Fox League’s NRL 360, Graham said he had an opportunity to finish his career where it all started.

“There were a few scenarios going around and some cause and effect situations back home and I had to think things through,” Graham said on NRL 360.

“I had to work out what I wanted to do and what effect it would have back home and also on the Dragons as well.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but this gives me the opportunity to go home and finish my career where it all started and play out the next six months and then move on to the next chapter.”

Graham said the decision to come to Australia was a nagging one to test himself in the NRL.

“I came over here as a 15-year-old, never really left England before and from then I pretty much thought if I ever get the opportunity to go over there and play I would,” Graham said. “As things got on, it became a question for me that I just had to go and answer, can I make it out there, can I perform out there, can I try and excel out there? It was a huge decision in my life but it was something I figured I couldn’t live with if I didn’t go answer the question. I was always safe in the knowledge that I could go back and live in England if I had wanted to but I felt quite deeply that I had to go and answer and I’m really glad I did.”

While the Dragons are now riding a two-game winning streak, just two weeks ago, Graham was left shattered as the side had no answers after a loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs.

James Graham took the Dragons’ losses pretty hard after the season returned.Source:Getty Images

But a pair of wins now has the team in a better position, but Graham hoped he wouldn’t been seen as walking out on his team.

“Yeah it was tough, I’m not normally a quitter and I hope this doesn’t perceive me as one,” Graham said.

“You’ve got a coach there who I would walk to the end of the earth for and a playing group that I am incredibly bonded to.

“I think good times are around the corner. But I had to make it about me and the opportunity that was presented to me in order to go home and finish my career there was too difficult to say no to. After much consideration that’s what I decided what I wanted to do and thankfully with St George Illawarra’s blessing as well.”

He said any finals matches as well ANZAC Day or Good Friday were also “pretty special”.


https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/s...d/news-story/de8b3aab3db2f33edc1787d5a50fbbec

 

[Dragons4me]

Best of luck Jimmy. A tough non comprising player who gave his all each game. Always spoke intelligently and people wanted to hear what he had to say. Best of luck mate.

 

[boardlumps62]

If we stick to the golden rule of 'like for like or better' when recruiting we won't go wrong. Of course, there is always an opportunity for bringing in players with potential but that class of player should be reserved for our young gun juniors who have proved themselves in Canterbury Cup e.g. Lomax, Saab and Blacker.

So right now we need to replace two marque forwards and a marque fullback, so:

• Frizell replaced by D Fifita
• Graham replaced by JDB or a marquee prop
  
• Dufty replaced by a marquee fullback

I believe with a new top grade coach, we will only need 3 outside recruits for season 2021. We can use our current crop of young guns to fill all other vacancies. My top 17 for 2021 would be:

NRL Team:
1. New marquee fullback
2. Ramsey
3. Z Lomax
4. Williame
5. Saab
6. Sullivan
7. Clune
8. JDB or New marquee prop
9. Hunt
10. Vaughan
11. T Sims
12. D Fifita
13. McInnes

Bench:
14. Kerr
15. Merrin
16. Laurie
17. Fuimaono

Gone:
Graham, Frizell, Lafai, Aitken, K Sims, Sailor. We may lose a few more.

Canterbury Cup:
1. Schiller
2. Pereira
3. Ravalawa - let's train him up to be a centre
4. Feagai
5. Feagai
6. Dufty - played in the halves in his junior days
7. Norman - can help Dufty develop
8. Blacker
9. Brittain
10. Host
11. Ford
12. H Lomax
13. Lovodua

Bench
14. Young prop
15. Young prop
16. Young backrower
17. Sauni-Esau

Possum for position on selection committee.

 

[Eatons Hill Dragon]

So who is the like for like replacement.
Has anyone noticed Lats hanging around at Training.

 

[Coffs dragon]

Love his heart, passion and loyalty, but if he is prepared “ to walk to the end of the earth for our coach”
.....can he please take him along & leave him there!

 

[Richard Gay Was God]

Love his heart, passion and loyalty, but if he is prepared “ to walk to the end of the earth for our coach”
.....can he please take him along & leave him there!

Absolutely. We can see how the old plodder has been continually getting a game at the expense of others. He is the symbol of where we are as a club. Old, slow, predictable and lacking ambition to do anything but get a cheque.

 

[Jersey No 14]

I'm just pissed that we as a whole (St. George Illawarra) management and coaching staff couldn't afford him the opportunity to win a title.
All we could manage was to dick around and take for granted this man's efforts
Embarrass by what I saw from us, It is us who should hang our heads in shame.
It is indicative of where we are at.
This now (since 2010) it is their watch and it is their watch which is failing US!!!
(significantly)

 

[getsmarty]

I'm just pissed that we as a whole (St. George Illawarra) management and coaching staff couldn't afford him the opportunity to win a title.
All we could manage was to dick around and take for granted this man's efforts
Embarrass by what I saw from us, It is us who should hang our heads in shame.
It is indicative of where we are at.
This now (since 2010) it is their watch and it is their watch which is failing US!!!
(significantly)

Post of the Year....make that last 5 years..........

 

[getsmarty]

James Graham quits Dragons to return to where it all started at St Helens
NRL Premiership

• June 22, 2020 8:27pm
• Mark St John@markdfstjohn
• Source: FOX SPORTS

James Graham will move to St Helens effective immediately.Source: AAP
English legend James Graham has confirmed he will quit the Dragons to move to home to play for St Helens for the remainder of the northern season.

Graham likely played his last game for the Dragons against the Titans in Round 6 and will move home to link with his old club for the rest of the season.

“There were a few scenarios going around and some cause and effect situations back home and I had to think things through,” Graham said on NRL 360.


“I had to work out what I wanted to do and what effect it would have back home and also on the Dragons as well.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but this gives me the opportunity to go home and finish my career where it all started and play out the next six months and then move on to the next chapter.”

Graham played 224 games for St helens before moving to the Bulldogs in 2012 and played 186 NRL games as well as 50 Tests for England and Great Britain in a peerless career.


The fact he has played the last of his 51 games for the Dragons was made tougher by the state the club is in this season, which made it tougher to leave.

“Yeah it was tough, I’m not normally a quitter and I hope this doesn’t percieve me as one,” Graham said.

“You’ve got a coach there who I would walk to the end of the earth for and a playing group that I am incredibly bonded to.

“I think good times are around the corner. But I had to make it about me and the opportunity that was presented to me in order to go home and finish my career there.”


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...a/news-story/96379bb34be74682e5248c905f9864ed

 

[Willow]

Graham has played more Club football in Australia than the UK. There was more than a hint that after football he'd come back to Australia to live.

“My intentions are to go to England and play out the season there,” he said. “After that, who knows. I’ve made Australia home, I’ve spent most of my adult life here so it would be pretty hard not to come back.”
[Source]

One winter in the UK usually does it. Good luck to him.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Weren’t we only going to let him go if we found a suitable replacement for him?

 

[Richard Gay Was God]

Anyone in the squad is a ‘suitable replacement’. We know who they thought that person was even though he is already in the squad. They just keep pinning hopes on supposed legal advice.

 

[Dragonsamy]

We have Josh Kerr he will only get better. Blacker should be given a run so he can bloom he is large. Look at young Collins at Chooks but different club different coach.

Blacker 195 cm 116kg and only 20.
So he probably has a bit more filling out to do.