Quote JWP="JWP"If they were the same age etc ? I probably wouldn't.
I think Graham has Fielden Mark II written all over him, way too many minutes, too much burden and heading for burnout by the time he's 28. I see next season being any different neither, the addition of Fozzard just looking like another depleted pack with Graham doing alot of work yet again.
He's a fantastic player, I'd just like to see Saints look after his interests & long term future a little better, that said, the clammer to win stuff every year is such that they've just got to do what they are doing to him, flogging him to death.'"
I agree. I've a bit of an issue with this clamour over James Graham, with much of it being based on the meters he makes, yet his average meter gained is pretty average, and when it comes to getting you out of your own 20 with a hard drive and a quick ptb, I'd choose Morley and Carvell every time.
Too often now Graham gets put on his back, as he is a marked man, and gets up slowly looking disgusted at the referee.
After last years Grand Final, I made the comment in the stadium to a mate who is a Saints fan, that he needs to stop thinking he is a Stand Off, and start taking the ball in. Against Leeds in that game, they weren't falling for his link play (we do every time!), and he just looked like a 2nd rate halfback instead of a world class prop.
I'd love to see him playing 40-50 minutes a game in two spells just like Morley and Carvell, as that is when we will see his best IMHO.