He might be a man of few words, but Canterbury recruit James Graham could be one of the new stars of the NRL in 2012 following his blockbusting debut for the Bulldogs on Saturday.
The 26-year-old clocked up more than 115 metres and made 51 tackles in just 64 minutes’ playing time, coming off the bench, helping his side to a 22-14 victory at Centrebet Stadium.
The English international was one of the stars of the Super League and revealed his former club St Helens were desperate for him to stay last season.
However, the lure of facing the world’s best players week in week out proved to be too big an attraction for him to knock back.
“Probably since I was about 14-15, I’d always followed the competition over here,” Graham said.
“When I started to take rugby a bit more seriously, I started looking at my ambitions and one was to play out here.
“I had some great times at St Helens but I was off contract and that is was the right time to make the move.”
Fellow English international Gareth Ellis said Graham’s form against Penrith was what the new Bulldog did every week for St Helens, and expects him to produce it on a regular basis in the NRL.
The Wests Tigers backrower is one of five other English internationals in the NRL along with Sam Burgess, Jack Reed, Gareth Widdop and Chris Heighington.
Graham said the success of Burgess and Ellis since moving from Super League had not been a factor in his decision to move, but he said he has been in contact with them since his arrival.
“It was more a case of now or never at the age of 26 more than anything else,” he said.
“I didn’t want to look back and think ‘what if?’ so, although it was a very tough decision to make as St Helens are a great club and really wanted me to stay, but I’m glad I made the move.”
Graham is not the typical rugby league player from the north of England.
Brought up in soccer-crazy Liverpool, the fortunes of Premier League side Everton were of more interest to him as a youngster than the exploits of Martin Offiah, Shaun Edwards and co.
However, after taking up the game in his early teens, he never looked back and become one of the best props produced by England in the past 20 years.
In addition to his on-field exploits in England, Graham was renowned by the local media for his intense approach, culminating in a self-imposed media ban ahead of Saints’ grand final with Leeds last year.
So it will come as no surprise that he’s enjoying working with a coach who shares similar traits in Des Hasler.
“His attention to detail is unbelievable,” he said.
“He is a top-class coach and, what I have seen so far, I am very impressed with.”
