James Graham (rugby league)
Encyclopedia
James Graham is a rugby league
player for St. Helens of Super League
. A Great Britain and England international representative front row forward, he has played his entire professional career to date at St. Helens, winning consecutive Challenge Cup
s with them in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Graham has recently signed with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs for 3-years, commencing in 2012.
in August 2003. Graham has already had leadership experience after captaining the England Academy in a famous series victory in Australia in 2004.
, making 27 first team appearances and being named Saints’ Young Player of the Year, for his mature, powerful performances which has also seen him named as a contender for Super League Young Player of the Year, with competition from Wigan Warriors
rival Chris Ashton
. He signed a new contract at St. Helens to tie his future at the Knowsley Road
based club until 2011.
Then-Great Britain
coach Brian Noble
selected Graham in a friendly against New Zealand
earlier in 2006 in the Castlemaine XXXX Test in which he made a try scoring debut at Knowsley Road.
He has been named in the Super League Dream Team
for the 2008
season.
James won the 2008 Man of Steel award, making him the fourth successive St Helens player to win the prestigious award having beaten rival Jamie Peacock and fellow team mate Leon Pryce. He follows team mates James Roby, Paul Wellens, Paul Sculthorpe (twice) and Sean Long in being named Man of Steel.
He has been named in the England squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
.
He was named in the Rugby League Writers prop of the year in 2008 and the Rugby League World Magazine the following year in 2009.
He was selected to play for England against France in the one-off test in 2010.
Due to an injury to tour skipper Adrian Morley
, Graham was handed over the captincy of England's 2010 Four Nations tournament squad, and in doing so became one of the youngest ever captains of the national side.
2011 could be Graham's final year at Saints as a host of NRL
clubs covet his signature. Canterbury Bulldogs
and Parramatta Eels
are thought to head the list of interested clubs. If a deal is agreed, Graham would become yet another English player based in Sydney's west along with Gareth Ellis
, Mark Flanagan (bothWests Tigers
) and Michael Worrincy
of the Penrith Panthers
. Other English players currently in Australia include Sam Burgess
and younger brother George Burgess
at the famous South Sydney Rabbitohs
club owned by Gladiator
star Russell Crowe
and young stand-off Gareth Widdop
at the Melbourne Storm
.
On the 27th April 2011 it was confirmed by club officials that St Helens RLFC joint captain James Graham will join NRL
side Canterbury Bulldogs
when his contract expires at the end of the 2011 season. "We did everything practical to persuade James to stay," said Saints chairman Eamonn McManus. "But we respect his wishes and ambitions. There comes a point where you have to just shake his hand and wish him luck."
Canterbury Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg told BBC Radio Merseyside: "It's a huge coup for the club. He brings not just on-field talent, he brings a huge profile off the field. He also brings some very strong leadership qualities to the club. Having met him last year and the way people talk about him from within the UK, he comes with glowing endorsements."
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player for St. Helens of Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. A Great Britain and England international representative front row forward, he has played his entire professional career to date at St. Helens, winning consecutive Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
s with them in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Graham has recently signed with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs for 3-years, commencing in 2012.
Background
James signed with Saints as a junior in 2000, eventually playing his way through the Junior Academies before making his senior debut against Castleford TigersCastleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
in August 2003. Graham has already had leadership experience after captaining the England Academy in a famous series victory in Australia in 2004.
St Helens
The 22 year old prop made a name for himself in Super League XIISuper League XII
Engage Super League XII is the official name for the year 2007's Super League season in the sport of rugby league.The 2007 season kicked off on the weekend of 2 February 2007 at the Galpharm Stadium. For the first time, the league had a staggered start due to the World Club Challenge between St...
, making 27 first team appearances and being named Saints’ Young Player of the Year, for his mature, powerful performances which has also seen him named as a contender for Super League Young Player of the Year, with competition from Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
rival Chris Ashton
Chris Ashton
Chris Ashton is an English rugby union player who has represented England in both Rugby League and Rugby Union...
. He signed a new contract at St. Helens to tie his future at the Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves...
based club until 2011.
Then-Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
coach Brian Noble
Brian Noble (rugby league)
Brian 'Nobby' D. Noble is an English former rugby league footballer. Noble is also the former coach of the Great Britain National Rugby League team. He was also the captain of the 1984 Great Britain touring team to Australia...
selected Graham in a friendly against New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
earlier in 2006 in the Castlemaine XXXX Test in which he made a try scoring debut at Knowsley Road.
He has been named in the Super League Dream Team
Super League Dream Team
The Super League Dream Team is an award given each season to the players deemed to have been the best in their position in the Super League by a panel of journalists and broadcasters....
for the 2008
Super League XIII
Engage Super League XIII was the official name, due to sponsorship, for the 2008 Super League season by Engage Mutual. Twelve teams competed for the Minor Premiership over 27 rounds after which, the top 6 finishing teams entered the play-offs where they competed for a place in the Grand Final and...
season.
James won the 2008 Man of Steel award, making him the fourth successive St Helens player to win the prestigious award having beaten rival Jamie Peacock and fellow team mate Leon Pryce. He follows team mates James Roby, Paul Wellens, Paul Sculthorpe (twice) and Sean Long in being named Man of Steel.
He has been named in the England squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
.
He was named in the Rugby League Writers prop of the year in 2008 and the Rugby League World Magazine the following year in 2009.
He was selected to play for England against France in the one-off test in 2010.
Due to an injury to tour skipper Adrian Morley
Adrian Morley
Adrian Morley is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Warrington Wolves of Europe's Super League...
, Graham was handed over the captincy of England's 2010 Four Nations tournament squad, and in doing so became one of the youngest ever captains of the national side.
2011 could be Graham's final year at Saints as a host of NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
clubs covet his signature. Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
and Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
are thought to head the list of interested clubs. If a deal is agreed, Graham would become yet another English player based in Sydney's west along with Gareth Ellis
Gareth Ellis
Gareth Ellis is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League . He has represented at international level for Great Britain and England and primarily plays in the back row...
, Mark Flanagan (bothWests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
) and Michael Worrincy
Michael Worrincy
Michael Worrincy, born 16 February 1986 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, is an English rugby league player for Penrith Panthers in the NRL. He is the younger brother of Halifax RLFC and Welsh international Rob Worrincy....
of the Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
. Other English players currently in Australia include Sam Burgess
Sam Burgess
Sam Burgess is an English professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League...
and younger brother George Burgess
George Burgess (rugby league)
George Burgess is a professional English rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the NRL who plays the position of Prop or Second Row...
at the famous South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
club owned by Gladiator
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
star Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
and young stand-off Gareth Widdop
Gareth Widdop
Gareth Widdop is an English professional rugby league footballer currently playing for Australian club Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League...
at the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
.
On the 27th April 2011 it was confirmed by club officials that St Helens RLFC joint captain James Graham will join NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
side Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
when his contract expires at the end of the 2011 season. "We did everything practical to persuade James to stay," said Saints chairman Eamonn McManus. "But we respect his wishes and ambitions. There comes a point where you have to just shake his hand and wish him luck."
Canterbury Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg told BBC Radio Merseyside: "It's a huge coup for the club. He brings not just on-field talent, he brings a huge profile off the field. He also brings some very strong leadership qualities to the club. Having met him last year and the way people talk about him from within the UK, he comes with glowing endorsements."