
Pozza
Not bad with his fists either. Broke the Kings jaw in a Brisbane Club game. Mark was playing for the Devils( Norths) and Wally either for Valleys or Wynnum
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And he just gets up and plays the ball like nothing happened haha
I will help you, Shane Dowsett, Gary Prohm, Nicky White, all Kiwis and then there was Stan Napa who went to Brisbane and fathered Dylan. Geez Auckland league was strong back then. The only difference between then and now was all this gym work bulking players up. YOU CANNOT BUILD HEART IN A GYM!!!When he played for Otahuhu the forwards included Hugh Mc Gahan, Owen Wright, Terry Whittle and a few others I can't remember. NRL standard at suburban Auckland grounds. Our best player.
Think you might mean Nicky Wright son of legendary coach Jack WrightI will help you, Shane Dowsett, Gary Prohm, Nicky White, all Kiwis and then there was Stan Napa who went to Brisbane and fathered Dylan. Geez Auckland league was strong back then. The only difference between then and now was all this gym work bulking players up. YOU CANNOT BUILD HEART IN A GYM!!!
Simon Mannering is the only current player who could hold a candle to Mark Graham.
I remember reading about this movie before it came out. Did anyone see it?
Kiwis legend Mark Graham hopes his son's movie will change lives
David Long17:30, May 28 2016
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SIR PETER LEITCH
Mark Graham handing out a Kiwi jersey to Jason Taumalolo in 2014.
Kiwis legend Mark Graham hopes the movie his son, Luke, has made about the pitfalls that can befall a rugby league player will have a big impact.
Luke Graham is the producer of the movie Broke which will have its New Zealand premier in Auckland on Wednesday.
The film tells the story of how a fictional league player's life is devastated by a gambling addiction that not only affects him, but also his family.
The Problem Gambling Foundation has partnered with New Zealand Rugby League's foundation, League 4 Life for a special screening of the film and hope to raise awareness of the issue.
Graham, who played 28 games for the Kiwis, 145 for the North Sydney Bears and was coach of the Warriors between 1999 and 2000, hopes the movie will strike a chord.
"It's a really relevant movie, it's very real," Mark said from his home in Gladstone, Queensland.
"Some of it is in your face, but it's a topic that we see a fair bit of it these days.
"The story is made up, but it could be true in a lot of cases.
"Some young fellas who play football can gamble a lot of money, they think they can afford it, but they can fall into lots of traps.
"That's what's happened in the past to lots of young players.
"It was different from my time, because we didn't play for the money, we wanted to test ourselves."
Graham played professionally from 1981 to 1988 and he was named the NZRL's New Zealand's Player of the Century.
He was a player in the spotlight throughout his career but says the pressure on players these days far exceeds anything he experienced.
"They are so scrutinised," he said.
"It must be so difficult and also, that's all they do with their life, play footy. I reckon it must be overwhelming for them. I do feel for them, because they've got no other release.
"Obviously, if they're not going that good, or their team is losing, they're in a tough place."
Graham revealed his son's next movie will deal with suicide in rugby league. There have been too many examples of young New Zealand players moving to Australian clubs, struggling to deal with the pressure and taking their lives.
Suicide is also something that's affected Graham's family. In 2000, while Warriors coach, his son Matthew tragically took his own life at the age of 13.
"Our family has been touched by that ourselves, so it's a very relevant point," he said.
"I think the point of the movie is about what can happen if you make bad decisions.
"Ultimately you're responsible for them yourself, it would be nice to be able to blame someone for them, but at the end of the day it's your choices that put you in a bad place.
"You've got to stand up and take the penance for that I suppose."
Graham, 60, works for the Gladstone Ports Corporation, operating bulldozers than can push 70 tonnes of coal down a chute in a single shunt.
"I'm part of a crew that works around the clock," he said.
"I do shift work and I've hopefully got five years to go and then I'll retire to a life of golf and fishing."
He will come back to New Zealand this week for the premier, along with his son and Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney. Once he retires he hopes to visit New Zealand more often and spent more time with either rod or seven iron in his hands.
"I don't know whether I'll come back to live or not, but I'm certainly going to spend a bit of time in New Zealand in the future, doing all of those things I like to do, catch up with old mates," he said.
"When I'm back in town next week, I'll go to Otahuhu and have a chat with the footy players there. I'm still proud to have been brought up in Otahuhu."
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ya know how you get really annoyed when these guys who can do this against anyone.....dont have any NZ players in support ? Watching Mark Graham I had that feeling more than any....it continued with our Stephen Kearney.. ..was appeased by Jones being there.....and then along came Ali who Mark Graham called the Michael Jordan of the sport....For those who watched him play, this was a very familiar sight and made him so dangerous on attack.
The strong upright carry, splitting 2 defenders, both arms free ready to make the offload.
Champion! View attachment 25987
Always hard to compare players in different eras but Mark Graham had a much better skillset. Both hard bastards...Simon Mannering is the only current player who could hold a candle to Mark Graham.
Yes that was a typo, my brain got mixed up with Nicky White the union player from Auckland. I know them both funnily enough. Nick Wright is living up in the Hokianga these days.Think you might mean Nicky Wright son of legendary coach Jack Wright
I wouldn't like to pick one over the other Welly. I am a little biased having played against Mark Graham however on pure performance as a first grade player Mannering has a better record.Always hard to compare players in different eras but Mark Graham had a much better skillset. Both hard bastards...
When Mark was Warriors coach he had this mad idea that some of the footballers were a bit thick and that he was only interested in smart footballers.
As a coach then, he sucked here.
A Man ahead of his time if you ask me.
Melbourne anyone ? the most thought driven club in the modern era.
I never forget when NZ played Tonga at Carlaw and Mark was pissed off that Stacey was playing since that seemed too big a risk.
Joe Vagana busted his own team mate Staceys arm in that game, Graham stormed out of the ground with his partner....I was in west goal line end of the ground.....Mark Graham came walking through the crowd...any wanna be autograph hunters or well wishers....parted like the red sea...as he marched through us all.
He was Simon Mannering if Mannering was someone you were scared of when he looked at you...and if Mannering could ball play and bend the line like Sonny Bill.
That is why he is rated the greatest of all time.cu**s were scared of him.
Sure have been some specials.There's been some great players in that kiwi 13 jumper hasn't there.
Graham to mcgahn to nikau to sbw to mannering to taumalolo.
Tbh sbw and taumalolo both had the talent to surpass graham but unfortunately neither shared the same passion he had for the kiwis.
Sonny fai could've been up there too but I guess we'll never know.