A player bred in the NRL against a player 5 games into his first ever season in a new country and a "more competitive and better overall" competition? Give over.

That and JG doesn't even start makes this a hugely unfair argument.

sonny bill williams by far the best 2nd row nrl has had he was allways injured whats your point?

james graham looks like he is trying to get used to hes team and he doesnt have the same command as he did at saints when or if he gets it he will back up there he just needs to light a fire under hes when hes taking a drive in. he defo made more than 17 tackles today aswell!

jonsey name me an aussies prop and a proper prop not a 2nd row playing prop who plays more mins than graham?

Why are you asking me?
I could not give a Rats Arse how many minutes they play.

just asking as your rubbishing graham's ability to match the intensity of the nrl

Settle Petal.
You know what Grahams nickname is at Canterbury? BUPA after the Health insurance company that show a really unfit person that needs help.

i know and aiden toleman is he from superleague aswell? as the look like twins



but i dont see how this has any reflection on graham as player.

You have no idea at all do you?

i would ask you to enlighten me but i really cant be bothered its to hot and i am not really that intrested.

James Graham is an ok (ish) interchange player but thats about it. Hasler wasn't too pleased about the Bulldogs signing him but obviously there wasn't a lot he could do about that.

You can double Grahams stats if you want, give him a couple of years if you want, he’ll never be in the same class as Gallen.

As long as they are fit and on form going into October 2013.

I believe we actually have a chance if our best players can perform to their best.

Gallen is a machine and currently comparable to nobody.

I was being flippant earlier - it was in response to some of the threads on here several weeks ago about how three Englishmen were ripping up the NRL between them and totally dominating it. Graham will do very well in the NRL. He'll not be a stand out player like he was in SL but he will be a solid and effective player.

A chance of what?

Making the final? Yes. Home advantage and all that.

Winning the World Cup? No chance.

That’s a fair assessment re Gallen & Graham, I was unaware of the other threads you alluded to, however, players ripping up the competition is banded about quite a bit from some quarters.

Burgess will be retired by the time he's 28 at this rate

Why not? Lose the first game against Aus... win the rest. Beat NZ on home soil as we have done many times... and then it comes down to a one off game infront of our own fans against Aus.

Our forward pack on form can measure well against the Aussies and the Kiwis without a doubt. Unfortunately we still haven't found the right formula in the backs, especially the halves, to really look like winning.

Last year was an improvement, but far more will be needed to compete. I think its too early with the playing pool we currently have.

We don't beat Australia in games which really count... you do know that? Like finals? Series deciders? In fact, we don't even get remotely close to winning any of them on home soil.

I heard a similar argument last year - we lost 8-30.
I heard similar in 2009 - we lost 16-46.
I heard similar in 2004 - we lost 4-44.
I heard similar in 2001 - we lost 8-28.
I heard similar in 1997 - we lost 20-37.
I heard similar in 1994 - we lost 4-23.
I heard similar in 1990 - we lost 0-14.

Do you get my drift?

Not only do we lose but we lose heavily.

For 60 minutes.

I wish I had a pound for everytime I've read that incorrect statement.

Both players out for a few months according to reports

You are absolutely spot on. I have been to many of the games you list and the sense of disappointment when GB/England lose in that decider is huge

But the problem I have with this argument is the assumption is because we haven’t won, we never will

Australia went from 1921 to 1950 without winning an Ashes series – I wonder how many Aussies said they would never beat Great Britain?

Of course the odds or England winning the World Cup are long and Australia are the overwhelming favourites but the last World Cup showed that being favourites and winning are not the same thing. I would be interested to know how you label your attitude. I suspect you call yourself a realist whereas I would call it defeatist. I’m just glad you haven’t been invited to talk to the team

For every improvement England/GB make then Australia improve that little bit more.

Tyranny always comes to an end.

I share your pain.


I wouldn't go as far as to say we'll never win, but I don't expect it to happen in my lifetime.


I'm a realist. I require evidence of improvement and a closing of the gap between us and them before I'm persuaded to believe we've got a chance of winning a series or competition or final against them. New Zealand winning the World Cup against them is a bunch of NRL players beating another bunch of NRL players. A bunch of SL players beating a bunch of NRL players in games that really matter is something else entirely and I don't realistically see it happening anytime soon. Of course, if we can muster a team consisting of mainly NRL players in the future, our realistic chances of beating Australia when it really counts suddenly increases on an exponential scale.


I couldn't do any worse than those offering the team talks over the past 4 decades. Wayne Bennett couldn't coach and team talk GB/England into beating Australia when it really counts either. It remains an impossible task.