It goes against every fiber of my being, but I can't help feeling sorry for him. I have always maintained that James Graham is many, many things, but never one to bite someone. It's not in his nature (usually) for such a tough competitor like him. He's not a wreckless hardman like some front rowers, he strikes me as more honest than that. I can't recall him throwing a punch, which is rare really for a guy who no one likes, who invariably plays 60+ minutes in a minimum of 95% of the games in a season. I know he had a wobble at Ryan Bailey, but who wouldn't?

Maybe all the hype and the pressure of the Grand Final, the homesickness he was talking about in the press in the build up and the losing run of GF's all came to a head and he fell off his perch for a split second.

I just hope the press don't chew him up and spit him out (pardon the pun) like Aussie press can do to people, the last thing we want, with the England cap on, is another 'Stuart Fielden' who hasn't pulled his pants up since getting his backside smacked in Aus. He's a top class player, and has shown that in every game he has played down under, but one blemish could really rattle him. Personally, I hope he plays it wisely, keeps his head down and rips in again next year and leads us to the World Cup.

Agreed, I also feel that Graham should have been banned for a season.

The bite was clear to see on the slo-mo of the melee as was the puncture mark and blood on his ear.

Sorry, was I watching a different game to some of the above?! Slater is involved in a fracas (started by the Dogs), where he is clearly targeted. As it all calms down he points out to his captain he thinks he was bitten; skipper tells ref who puts it on report, noting that there's blood on his ear (an odd place to pick up a wound given the nature of the incident). Immediate replays show Graham's mouth, open, next to Slater's ear-his face with a look like a fat kid at McDonalds. Photos the next day show Slater with a bite like mark on his ear.

Now I've always thought Slater one of those players who you can watch and think he has some kind of sixth sense (see his 'no look' tip back in the same game), but to sense that a blindsided player was looking like he was biting him...