Graham's a very good prop, but what's needed against Aus/NZ is real quality - aggression, power and ability to read the game - as well as an engine. When I watched GB vs Aus in Brisbane a few years ago, the metres made by the forwards may have read very nicely, but the QUALITY of Morley's work both with and without the ball was way ahead of the rest. Realistically he was the only GB forward who wouldn't have looked out of place in the green and gold.

The metres made stat is interesting, but only useful to compare 'workhorse' forwards. It can also be inflated in a number of ways - if a forward is the standard kick-off receiver he'll generally make 20+ yards every time his team receives the kick off (at 4 kick off returns per game that's a nice 80m gain for 4 drives before you start adding anything else), or if he simply plays more minutes. What the stats show is that neither Peacock or Graham are 'impact' forwards - but every team needs that sort off forward as well.

Having said that, I do respect players' opinions. If his peers rate Graham the best prop in SL, who are we to argue? Or is it simply that players admire hard graft more than anything else?

As for young player, I'd be stunned if Hall won it.

ryan bailey is the best prop in the world judging by the posts created about him.
ps he also owns FGB and mary

Or even better, a tattoo of his chest on his face...

Only the greatest players in the history of the game can acheive such records. You know, players like that Flowers legend from Cas.

TBH I don't care who wins the award, I was never too bothered and then Roby won it. I've nothing against oby and he's a great player but to give him MOS was IMO a joke.

Graham has much more than just a ball carrier, he attracts defence but he's the best ball playing prop I've seensince Lee Crooks. Some of the passes he makes are superb to put the runners away.

Still needs to keep his bottom lip up though. Fielden used to be targeted just like Graham (and there's been plenty of others before him) and he always stood up to the challenge and shook hands at the end of the game.

I would like to see Sinfield recognised, he's lifted the big one three times in five years, and IMO certainly been the best club captain this club has had since I began supporting at the beginning of the 1980's. He's an exceptional player, leader and example for young players. His attitude is unmatched - he's taken some big knocks and some big criticisms over the years and always come back strong.
He was cruelly overlooked in 2004 when we absolutely smashed all opposition (as were the rest of the Leeds team for reasons beyond logic).

He would be my choice anyway.

I agree and I think he is a great player, but I also lost all respect for the guy after the Saints game.

I have certainly derided him but probably for the same reason as you, he is a great player but he does not play or us!!!

However, after the Saints game despite him being a great player, I would now no longer like to see him in the Blue and Amber. I think his behaviour was appalling and maybe Mr Potter should have had the Balls to do something similar to Mr Brown.

This is RL not football and Mr Graham needs reminding of his place and his attitude!

Funny innit how a team of chokers who can pull off only one title in the last 7 years can dominate this award yet the most succesful team in that era never get a look in.

Because we lose the grand final, you dont win it.

We have been the best team in the competetion judging by the amount of times we have won the CC and finished top. By a long way.

You lot just get lucky with a one off win.

Ever since Roby ‘won’ it – it lost all credibility in my mind.

Edited for accuracy

Cunningham hasn't won it either, despite being frequently recognised as SL's best player ever. Ditto Senior (see my sig).

You really do leave yourself open for a nobbing dont you?

I knew that would flush an arrogant Saints fan out.

Champions once in 7 seasons and you really do think you've been the best team in the competition don't you?

Hilarious.

When we finished top and Bradford beat Leeds were were dealt a cruel hand of fate by Newton's thuggery which took Sean Long and Darren Albert out of the team ahead of the play offs.

I have no problems with Leeds win in 2007 as I thought they were the best team in the comp that year anyway, and 2008 as they were the better team on the (rainy;_)) night.

I'm not so sure about Graham. I remember Lee Crooks, and he does remind me a bit of him. Crooks had nice hands, and (before the burgers took too much toll on his waistline) had a great engine - in a day when front row forwards played the full 80. Graham has those qualities, but there the similarities end. Crooks was a fearsome front row forward, he knew how to take and hand out pain. He also (in his Hull days) could bust the line and had surprising pace. Then there was his kicking game.
I think if you also look at our recent history of front row forwards, Graham looks more like a big fish in an ever shrinking pond. Peacock and Morely are the last of the giants (and both converted back row forwards). We have a very poor selection at the moment - Crabtree is a decent player, but after that you would be pushed.

In 2005 we lost Senior, which had a devestating impact on our season. Up until that Bradford game we were clear at the top of the league, and in the CC final. Losing him was the difference between a clean sweep and runners up in everything. Senior was in devestating form that year and a huge loss.

Crooks wasted his talent IMO and after his move to Leeds is GB days were effectively over, he was great at club level but his skills were negated at test level. We're about as well of for test props now as we have been for years. In the 80s we had Ward and Crooks and that was about it. In the 90s it was more likely to be Skerrett, Harrison & Platt (converted 2nd row). In the 00s it was Fielden, McDermott and now I'm struggling. In the late 00s it's Graham, Peacock and Morley. Crabtree isn't top quality IMO but Burgess has the potential to be as good as any of the above.

Agree about Crookes going downhill at Leeds, it was the shoulder injury at Bolton in the JP semi that finished the job on him. He put so much weight on while he was out he never got his engine back. In fairness to him though he had played first team rugby from the age of 16 and he never wanted to leave Hull.

I disagree about the number of good props around though, fairly easily over the period you quote I can think of several good front row forwards, Fieldhouse, Dixon, Len Casey, Trevor Skerrett, The Jeffasaurus, Mike O'Neil... I could go on.

All decent forwards but not really up to ashes test class even if they all had a go at it. One exception being Dixon who was up to it as a second row without a doubt.

I thought Crooks looked much better at Cas but barring one test in 92 he never troubled the test team versus the Aussies again. His lumbering style made him easy meat for the aussie defenders.

Remember him at Saints. Crap.. very good pro for Halifax and effective at Widnes earlier in his career I think.

Remember Roy Haggerty demonstrating his hardness and stupidity in equal measures against Fieldhouse in the Lancashire Cup - he laid Fieldhouse out with a right hook, but it was right in front of the referee who sent him straight off. Priceless...

When you say Len Casey don't you mean Leo casey - also remember big Hughie Waddell...

His move to Leeds did him.

he simply didn't want to leave Hull and handled it very badly. Quite refreshing that he himself is candid about his failings at Leeds, unlike his big boozing buddy at the time who I could never imagine accepting culpability for anything he did wrong during that era.

Cue a response from Tony Ferrino.................

You'll be waiting a while