It’s hard to go past Johnathan Thurston and Sam Burgess as the finest brains and brawn respectively in the NRL this year, but neither player is the one other teams are trying to emulate.
I headed along to the SFS last Friday night, despite (or perhaps because of) last week’s piece that had me misconstrued as either passionless or a Sydney hater, in the hope that the Cowboys would put a rotisserie skewer through the Roosters and set their campfires to ‘barbecue’. And I don’t even eat chicken.
What I saw instead was a ridiculous game of rugby league, watched by passionate fans from both sides who will never forget what they witnessed, and circumstantial evidence that coaches secretly want their props to be James Graham.
The Cowboys’ relentless second-half assault may have been orchestrated by the irrepressible JT, but the grunt work was done up front. And it was the way Matt Scott played which caught my eye.
The bash and barge he so ably displays come Origin time was evident as always, though interspersed with a cunning running and passing game. Take the ball left from a centre-field play the ball, approach the defence with intent, then loop the ball behind a dummy runner to JT to feed a sweeping attack down his favoured channel.
The following night, Manly were reading from the same playbook, their props running in pairs called by their own left-side general in Kieran Foran. Except it didn’t look anywhere near as graceful as when their opposing Bulldogs ran the same play off the man himself, James Graham. Nor was it as effective.
Ball-playing props are generally massive units who can occasionally slip a cheeky offload, or a cluster of impossible ones in a row if they’re Paul Osborne hitting a career high watermark in the 1994 grand final.
Graham is a little different. As a frustrated fantasy football coach, I spent good portions of this season shaking my fist at the big northerner as he lurked at the advantage line to the left of Mick Ennis without demanding the ball to tear into the defence anywhere enough for my liking.
With my clipboard long in the top drawer and life as a post-season neutral feeling as comfortable as general spiritual malaise, I can accept that he’s positioned there as a permanent decoy – like a short-leg under a batsman’s nose to keep them in two minds about attacking the spinner.
When the ball does come his way, he can tear into the line with the ferocity (if not the size) of his fellow expat Burgess, or loop a better ball to a sweeping backline than all of his imitators combined.
He can also let fly torrents of abuse at teammates that make Brett Mullins talking tactics with Mark McLinden look like a deep philosophical discussion, all the while getting praised by commentators as ‘committed’ rather than ‘should be committed’ in the process.
Additionally, he hasn’t attempted to feast on anyone’s earlobe for nigh on two years now.
If the Bulldogs do defy the odds of entering the finals in seventh place, off the back of a pitiful post-Origin slide, and somehow make the decider, one suspects Graham will have added another man of the match envelope to last Saturday’s (and the rest).
And even if they don’t, the attack of the clones when season 2015 rolls around will no doubt be relentless.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Roby signed a 5 year deal with St Helens last year, so no chance of him moving, I don't think he really wanted to move due to his young family, plus not many NRL clubs were that interested in him -- Roby also struggles with playing a full 80mins from memory.
Stephen Martin
Guest
It's a shame Graham never persuaded his St Helens teammate James Roby to follow him south. Graham at 10 and Roby at 9 were a fantastic combination up the middle. I imagine Roby is a bit too old now to up sticks.
soapit
Guest
i still have no idea what ennis was trying to do. even if he didnt scuff it it was aimed sideways!
The Barry
Guest
Of course Ennis is the first and only player to pat someone on the head after a mistake.
KB
Guest
Lets hope they're not too influential. especially on young people.. (Burgess and Graham), are both grubs. Souths and the Dogs supporters may have forgotten. but not the rest of us..
Haradasun
Roar Rookie
agree 100%. Gernally I am not really into the modern view of sportsmanship with teams high fiving each other at an opponents error, but the chickens came home to roost for Ennis and and it was brilliant.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Think the point Kris is making isn't that Graham is important to the Bulldogs (we already knew that), but that Graham is influencing the way forwards play in the modern game. Maybe this isn't the right parallel to draw, but I was watching some games from the 1960s earlier and the way Graham plays strikes me as similar to that of Johnny Raper.
Brad
Guest
I fully agree that Graham is the MVP left in the finals. In fact I think you could make a decent argument of him being the MVP to his team in the NRL. Andrew Johns did an awesome breakdown of his game before the Manly game, showing the most common formation used when Graham gets the ball is a potential ball runner to his left and right and one of the halves trailing out the back. And all three are genuine options to get the ball too, not just decoys. Graham isolates a defender, makes his read depending on what decision the defender makes, then executes the pass. Option football at it's best and great to watch.
Dane Eldridge
Expert
Touche. Let's hope there's a special plaque commissioned by the WWOS shop to commemorate this well-received ruffling.
MAX
Guest
Kris, You are a sucker for the flamboyant hairstyle.You should sus it out with JG to open a salon upon his retirement. Swales and Graham ...creative hair stylists for all sports... imagine a swagra cut! Between Graham, Pritchard and Hasler there is a premiership in production. I am surprised James' success has not lured more Super League players to Belmore. As for this weekend. McIlroy and Horschel had sensational golf seasons. At interviews they both indicated it was imperative to focus on the immediate task at hand and not think of the end result which may create unwanted mind games. James Graham thinks the same... let's hope his team mates oblige with blinders.
Will Sinclair
Roar Guru
Nah - the highlight of the finals series (indeed, the highlight of every finals series in history) was Michael Ennis rolling the ball along his own try line to gift Manly a try, and then having his head rubbed in glee by opposition players. Brilliant stuff!
Dane Eldridge
Expert
James Graham's verbal torching of Mitch Brown the other night was the highlight of the finals series thus far. He should be a high school teacher.
The eye
Guest
From memory Belly had Chambers charging out of the line at him in their '12 GF victory..shutdown,frustration taken out on Billy's ear..
Will Sinclair
Roar Guru
Yeah - James Graham is a phenomenon. Watching him live last week was really a treat - the way he positions himself, and the way he takes the ball the line, and the fact he can run hard and make meters or find a runner. It's lovely to watch. Without him the Bulldogs wouldn't even be near the finals. Despite their wonderful achievements this season, I am far from convinced by Reynolds and Hodkinson, and I think Perrett and Ennis are workmanlike at best. But Graham makes up for all their short-comings.
Will Sinclair
Roar Guru
You don't eat chicken?
planko
Guest
Kris and The Barry most clubs are in that boat. I think if Manly lost DCE or Foran for long period they would adapt but it change the way they play.I think the timing of injuries is the most important. For example I think if Manly had lost Balin and Buhrer for the season earlier they would have been in better shape if Hodges , JSL and Lui would have had more game time. JSL could be anything I really rate him. With seasons getting longer and or tougher I see clubs bringing in an informal rotation policy. Mainly to provide real football to fringe players or teams need to get more serious and RESERVE grade. I used to love going to game 1pm to watch next years stars or this years depending on injuries.
The Barry
Guest
I'll let it go but it's not misconstrued when you specifically say you don't like Sydney clubs and f... Sydney. It's an interesting point about Graham. You'd think the dogs can't win if he gets injured. Soward would be in the same boat. Do souths and easts have players they can't win without? Two years ago they folded like a house of cards when Reynolds went off. Are they better equipped to deal with that now?