These Graham to Newcastle stories

[Turvey Chip and Chase]

firsty, if this should be in Rumours, sorry.

I'm really getting annoyed by this undercurrent of Graham to Newcastle stories that have been getting stronger the last day or 2.

We'd better NOT be losing our fucking captain to accommodate Woods!!!

I was ok with the Woods signing provided our inspiration did not get moved along.

Those who are saying "we looked ok with out Graham last week"... my God, I hope you are smarter than to judge our captains Bulldogs career against 1 single week where he was taken off early.

We can NOT lose him!!

 

[Bob dog]

Brownie was NBN news saying they are expressing interest but Dogs are reluctant to let him go at the moment.

 

[EXPLORER]

Brownie was NBN news saying they are expressing interest but Dogs are reluctant to let him go at the moment.

I heard bedsey on 2gb the other morning talking about how great James will be for the knights

It was coming across it was all but a done deal

 

[Vlasnik]

Matty Johns makes massive call on Newcastle Knights target James Graham, compares to Paul ‘Chief’ Harragon

• May 2, 2017 6:29am
• SIMON BRUNSDON@simonbrunsdon
• Source: FOX SPORTS

NEWCASTLE legend Matty Johns has made a massive call on Knights target James Graham.

Graham is reportedly being pursued by the Hunter club as Canterbury rushes to offload players in order to make room in the salary cap to fit Aaron Woods and Kieran Foran for 2018.

The Bulldogs skipper is one player said to be in danger of being moved out of Belmore, but there would be no shortage of suitors willing to take him on.

Johns says the Knights should make Graham a primary target for next year, having already missed out on the signatures of Foran, Matt Scott, and Jack Bird.

And Johns went as far to suggest Graham could leave as big a legacy on the Knights as club legend Paul “Chief” Harragon.

“I tell you what, James Graham would be absolutely perfect — I kid you not — for Newcastle. He would be perfect,” Johns told Monday Night With Matty Johns.

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James Graham talks with Josh Reynolds of the Bulldogs.Source: News Corp Australia
“Newcastle in my opinion need to make him an offer that he can’t refuse ... I think if they offer him a multi-year offer for big money, I reckon the Dogs will let him go.

“You think what’s in it for James Graham to go to Newcastle ... in my opinion his impact would be so great in a short period of time in turning that club around.

“I reckon by the time he had three or four years there he would be as big a legend as Paul Harragon, that’s how big an impact James Graham could have on the Knights.

“He’s a winner, and what he would do is teach those young guys how to win, how to get up for football games.

Newcastle legend Paul Harragon in action in 1997.Source: News Corp Australia
“I reckon he could be the most important signing the club would ever make.”

Harragon played 169 games for Newcastle and captained the club to the 1997 premiership. He’s considered one of the Knights’ best ever players.

Graham has been at Canterbury since 2012 and captains the club, but has conceded he may need to move on to make way for Bulldogs recruits at the end of 2017.

 

[CaptainJackson]

They're just trying to unsettle him

There's rules against this in soccer, real Madrid and Barcelona get by these rules by having their supporters magazine, who have no "connection" to their clubs, report their clubs interest in players.

Frankly our club should just release a statement telling Newcastle and Matty John's to fuck off

 

[Kempsey Dog]

Brownie was NBN news saying they are expressing interest but Dogs are reluctant to let him go at the moment.

Caught this when i got home from work yesterday... innuendo and bullshit week in week out... and Browny the straight shooter just hosed it all down in seconds .

 

[DT]

Matt Johns is and has always been a knobend!
Why anyone listens to a word the boring twat says amazes me.

 

[CroydonDog]

I actually thought the chief would have played more games. I appreciate 169 is good achievement, but he was around along time.

 

[CroydonDog]

Matt Johns is and has always been a knobend!
Why anyone listens to a word the boring twat says amazes me.

I don't rate all 3 of the Sydney breakfast radio team on MMM.

Former Wallaby Greg Marto Martin can be annoying up here in Brisbane, but the show up here sounds like a Mensa meeting compared to Johns, Geyer and that fat bloke who is mates with Hugh Jackman.

 

[CaptainJackson]

Also wasn't there mention that Woods wanted assurances Graham would stay at the club if he signed on

 

[Wolfmother]

Also wasn't there mention that Woods wanted assurances Graham would stay at the club if he signed on

I never heard that one but I reckon that's a smart type of condition to have on your contract.
It is a team sport after all, and you need good people around you to do your job properly.

All great players have lulls in their careers I hope des doesn't overlook this point as he did with Ennis.
The real James graham is due back very soon.

 

[cookieman909]

Can I just ask how the knights are allowed to express interest in him? Do they go through his manager or through the club? As he's off contract after next year I thought no clubs are allowed to contact him until November this year?

If the club lets him go that will do me. We can't keep on getting rid of our captains! 3 of last 4 have signed elsewhere and finished their careers there.

 

[Bob dog]

Sure other forwards have better stats but releasing the heart and soul of the team is a negative move, the side feeds off energy, I agree with Ennis on this, you don't just doik your captain, if he becomes the Knights captain I will puke.

 

[DoggiesBoy]

Can I just ask how the knights are allowed to express interest in him? Do they go through his manager or through the club? As he's off contract after next year I thought no clubs are allowed to contact him until November this year?

If the club lets him go that will do me. We can't keep on getting rid of our captains! 3 of last 4 have signed elsewhere and finished their careers there.

That November thing is a myth that the media continue to feed. The only rule with it is the nrl will not register a contract until after that date for a player off contract the following season(unless both clubs agree), there is no rule against clubs/managers talking to contracted players.

 

[boggie23]

If graham goes along with Reynolds you lose a lot of passion for the jersey. You lose the determination and you lose winners. Players that drive towards a win and hate losing.

As great as the rest of the team is no one hates losing more then graham and Reynolds. And when the game is on the line they are the players you want on the field. Graham isn't a passenger. Every min he is on the field he gives it 110%. Ok he lost a lot of his aggression after Black Friday and he has been muzzled. But the guy leaves everything on the field and once the game finishes he can barely walk some day. True champion and true warrior.

Not to disrespect other players but as great as Jackson is, probably one of the best we have, he can go missing at times. If graham goes we lose a leader, we lose a warrior and we lose a winner.

We may still be a gun team without him but I'm not sure how the dressing room will be. And if someone has a shit game not too sure if someone will pull them apart to call them out. Graham has such respect that he can come to you and say you're playing shit without causing problems.

He is like dahntay jones and Richard Jefferson at the cavs. Immensely respected that they can pull you aside and say pick up your game without offending you.

 

[rainman]

I have expressed interest in one of the Manly cheerleaders, but that don't mean I will ever get my hands on her

 

[boggie23]

Can I just ask how the knights are allowed to express interest in him? Do they go through his manager or through the club? As he's off contract after next year I thought no clubs are allowed to contact him until November this year?

If the club lets him go that will do me. We can't keep on getting rid of our captains! 3 of last 4 have signed elsewhere and finished their careers there.

I think you can approach a club and say can we have this player this season or next year. That's allowed. Even to call the manager and say what's the availability of this guy. We need a fullback etc.

What's illegal is going with a contract and saying we have 1.1 million for 3 years etc.

I know more or less they are the same. But you can check the availability of a player but you can't negotiate with them. If that makes sense.

But say if knight want graham they can go to the dogs and say we could use graham next year what can we do. And dogs can say no or say ok we will need this and this to release him and the negotiations can start between the knights and graham and his manager.

 

[Papa Emeritus]

Matty Johns did not say Graham was going to Newcastle, he said he would be a good fit if he did. So don't spray hate at him.

One of our props has to go, and to be honest I think it has to be Graham. He hogs the ball too much and we need to let our halves be our halves.

If he does go however, I expect him to go back home to England.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

If graham goes along with Reynolds you lose a lot of passion for the jersey. You lose the determination and you lose winners. Players that drive towards a win and hate losing.

As great as the rest of the team is no one hates losing more then graham and Reynolds. And when the game is on the line they are the players you want on the field. Graham isn't a passenger. Every min he is on the field he gives it 110%. Ok he lost a lot of his aggression after Black Friday and he has been muzzled. But the guy leaves everything on the field and once the game finishes he can barely walk some day. True champion and true warrior.

Not to disrespect other players but as great as Jackson is, probably one of the best we have, he can go missing at times. If graham goes we lose a leader, we lose a warrior and we lose a winner.

We may still be a gun team without him but I'm not sure how the dressing room will be. And if someone has a shit game not too sure if someone will pull them apart to call them out. Graham has such respect that he can come to you and say you're playing shit without causing problems.

He is like dahntay jones and Richard Jefferson at the cavs. Immensely respected that they can pull you aside and say pick up your game without offending you.

We weren't lacking in passion against the Raiders though.

 

[Dingobat]

If they want Graham then they should give us gay guy