Now, I get it. He's 'committed', 'passionate', 'hates losing', etc, etc...but can someone please explain to me how on earth he avoided being sent off in the Bulldogs vs Souths game??

I admire Graham as a player, always have. World class. But currently showing little class. His dummy spits are becoming embarrassing. Whether you agree with the referee or not, part of the character of our game is that you suck it up, get on with it and if you're really angry you come out running and tackling harder than before. Christ, he even had a right old whinge about the blood bin with claret p*ssing from his head.

The first major strop I remember was towards the end of the 2010 Grand Final, and it's a part of his game he's let creep in more and more. The Ockers mostly find it funny but for me it's important we eliminate all backchat, never mind screaming and raging at the officials. And how long will Hasler put up with him disrupting the game?

To be fair that penalty at the end was controversial and with the result in the balance I do understand. For me though, he's steaming in to challenge the kicker and has made reckless/dangerous contact, which has to be penalised. He has a care of duty to control his contact. How he then stayed on the pitch I'll never know, especially when Klemmer was binned - although I think that was for swearing.

Actually, I do know - that useless sweaty cameltoe Sutton was reffing. We know all about him. Perhaps he's still feeling guilty about the World Cup.



Great game though.

It's something he's always had. It's partly what drives him on to such good performances but if he's to be a leader he has to rein it in a bit.
I can remember him having a strop at the end of a Leeds v Saints game (09?) and refusing to shake hands with leeds players and storming off.

Top player but, he has to rein in his attitude if he wants to be a leader or to simply avoid trouble. His World Cup shenanigans off the field show he's not always properly focussed.

To be fair he couldn't really 'get on with and run in harder' as the game was effectively over.

It was a shocking decision by the officials which frankly shouldn't be happening in the first place, it was also a decision that cost his team a hard fought win against the champions.

We all know how passionate and hard working he is so obviously this win would of been an important one and to have it snatched away by some incompetence from the officials you can't blame him for reacting the way he did.

The bottom line is bad decisions of this nature should not be happening, and if they didn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.

The bottom line is controversial decisions happen. Graham is a senior player now, not an impetuous youngster. He needs to show more control.

I remember that 2009 game. It was only a few weeks before the playoffs started (Senior dropped Wilkin too in that game).

The final whistle went when the players were down at the Carnegie End and Graham stomped with his bottom lip out around 80m to clap the Saints fans and then stormed up the tunnel without shaking a single hand.

Yep. He couldn't control himself. Just as he couldn't in the game v Souths and its cost his team the game.
To be honest he should've been sin binned for the tackle itself (if they're going to give it as a penalty) and certainly should've been binned or possibly red carded for his attitude to the ref. The other Canterbury player, the one who was binned, should've been red carded rather than just sin binned.

No consistancy in officiating, you see players/kickers being taken out time and time again..often deliberately with barely an eyelid batted, the referee made the decision on the outcome (the prone player with an injury) NOT the attempted charge down which was innocuous (despite the injury) and is in no way reckless nor was it late. If he (JG) had being attempting a tackle then it wouldn't have being called either. If you are going to penalise this then have a look back at all the plays that haven't that are similar if not worse.. Oh and the laws don't seem to mention anything about contact with the legs when charging down FYI it's P39 www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=3476213

No consistancy in officiating, you see players/kickers being taken out time and time again..often deliberately with barely an eyelid batted, the referee made the decision on the outcome (the prone player with an injury) NOT the attempted charge down which was innocuous (despite the injury) and is in no way reckless nor was it late. If he (JG) had being attempting a tackle then it wouldn't have being called either. If you are going to penalise this then have a look back at all the plays that haven't that are similar if not worse.. Oh and the laws don't seem to mention anything about contact with the legs when charging down FYI it's P39 www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=3476213

Was that the game where Bailey refused to run the ball straight at Graham or have i gotten the wrong year?

Gotta be honest, in this scenario my criticism is saved for the ref. I don't agree with the way Graham reacted but I can't say I wouldn't have done the same. Disgraceful decision.

Quote ="knockersbumpMKII"No consistancy in officiating, you see players/kickers being taken out time and time again..often deliberately with barely an eyelid batted, the referee made the decision on the outcome (the prone player with an injury) NOT the attempted charge down which was innocuous (despite the injury) and is in no way reckless nor was it late. If he (JG) had being attempting a tackle then it wouldn't have being called either. If you are going to penalise this then have a look back at all the plays that haven't that are similar if not worse.. Oh and the laws don't seem to mention anything about contact with the legs when charging down FYI it's P39 www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=3476213'" Most relevant is the top of p41: "[iIf the player in possession has delayed kicking until the tackler has commenced to dive, the tackler should not be penalised.[/i" What we commonly refer to as being committed; it's usually a grey area as most tacklers only lean into the tackle making it difficult to adjudicate whether they have "commenced to dive", but in Graham's case it was clear cut.

Quote ="knockersbumpMKII"No consistancy in officiating, you see players/kickers being taken out time and time again..often deliberately with barely an eyelid batted, the referee made the decision on the outcome (the prone player with an injury) NOT the attempted charge down which was innocuous (despite the injury) and is in no way reckless nor was it late. If he (JG) had being attempting a tackle then it wouldn't have being called either. If you are going to penalise this then have a look back at all the plays that haven't that are similar if not worse.. Oh and the laws don't seem to mention anything about contact with the legs when charging down FYI it's P39 www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=3476213'" Most relevant is the top of p41: "[iIf the player in possession has delayed kicking until the tackler has commenced to dive, the tackler should not be penalised.[/i" What we commonly refer to as being committed; it's usually a grey area as most tacklers only lean into the tackle making it difficult to adjudicate whether they have "commenced to dive", but in Graham's case it was clear cut.

No that was the same year but the game at Knowsley Rosd where Bailey floored Fa'asavalu with a great legal hit and Graham sulked like a baby on that occasion too and would sneak in on Bailey 3rd man with a shot to the back from behind.

As someone has said that was the same year but different game. Look up Leeds saint Biff on YouTube... Graham comes on as a sub having already lost the plot after faasavalu's injury


As for Bailey refusing to run at Graham, this is an oft repeated but entirely ficticous St Helens myth. Its at the end of the youtube clip - what actually happened is Bailey swerves across the pitch to deliberately run at Graham (completely counterproductive on Baileys part as it means he has no forward momentum but funny all the same). Theres a subsequent penalty where Graham is mouthing off to Bailey but the carry is by Burgess.

Oh and at the very end you'll see Graham finally suceed to land his nice cheap shot...

Quote ="knockersbumpMKII"No consistancy in officiating, you see players/kickers being taken out time and time again..often deliberately with barely an eyelid batted, the referee made the decision on the outcome (the prone player with an injury) NOT the attempted charge down which was innocuous (despite the injury) and is in no way reckless nor was it late. If he (JG) had being attempting a tackle then it wouldn't have being called either. If you are going to penalise this then have a look back at all the plays that haven't that are similar if not worse.. Oh and the laws don't seem to mention anything about contact with the legs when charging down FYI it's P39 www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=3476213'" Ref got it right. It's there in black & white. Seems a lot of people don't know the rules, including the commentators. Accidental or not, he's fouled the kicker.

Quote ="knockersbumpMKII"No consistancy in officiating, you see players/kickers being taken out time and time again..often deliberately with barely an eyelid batted, the referee made the decision on the outcome (the prone player with an injury) NOT the attempted charge down which was innocuous (despite the injury) and is in no way reckless nor was it late. If he (JG) had being attempting a tackle then it wouldn't have being called either. If you are going to penalise this then have a look back at all the plays that haven't that are similar if not worse.. Oh and the laws don't seem to mention anything about contact with the legs when charging down FYI it's P39 www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=3476213'" Ref got it right. It's there in black & white. Seems a lot of people don't know the rules, including the commentators. Accidental or not, he's fouled the kicker.

Even as a Wigan fan I miss those games. Real bitterness between the sides, some epic contests.

And Jon Wilkin getting dropped is always worth remembering.

James Graham - gets dropped from the England squad for boozing, bites another player's ear in the GF, spits dummy on a weekly basis = Let's make him England captain
Zak Hardaker - gets dropped from the England squad for boozing, gets caught on camera using a homophobic word, slaps a student = Sack him!

The decision that upset James Graham was so outrageous that the fans started hurling cans at the match officials as they left the pitch. One of the match officials fell to the ground. I do not condone such crowd behaviour. However it is something that rarely happens in the modern era, and this extreme crowd reaction shows how outrageous the referee decision was that upset James Graham.

Speaking of JG, has he got a kid brother? I saw a guy who was the spit of him in a Wigan pub last night.

Except it wasn't a foul:

Personally I'm disgusted that Hardakre has got away with next to nothing as punishment for criminal behaviour.

What's worse, a couple of punches in a Grand Final from Flower or going into student accommodation in the middle of the night and beating up one of the residents who challenged your right to be there?

Hang on, so the situation when a drop goal attempt is treated differently by the laws than an 'ordinary' cross-kick or grubber? Surely there are circumstances where defenders (and refs) can't tell for sure which it is?

In the opinion of the referee it was

Oh here we go



Were you there? It sounds like you know what happened.

He got a £200 fine and had to write an apology. That doesn't sound like the crime of the century to me, leaves a few questions unanswered and it was clearly not the one sided affair you seem to think it was.

Not that anyone mentioned Flower so i'm not sure what your point is but IMO what Flower did was worse than anything Hardaker or Graham have done, on or off the field.

The official laws contradict his opinion in this instance

Flower threw and landed punches, something that happens in EVERY game and it was in a retaliation to an elbow attack which resulted in that player being suspended.
Jammer Graham could have effectively ended a playing career. Jammers mouthing off is not good for the game, in fact its more disgraceful than Flowers punch, will he get a 6 month ban? Bearing in mind he doesnt play for wigan....

I heard about this from a friend and my first thought was that it would be Gerard Sutton that would be involved.

Lo and behold......