From what I remember Morley didn't have a great deal of respect from them when he first arrived. Remember at that time (2000) it was an all time low for British RL, all our good players had retired in the mid-90s, we had the farce of the World Club Challenge where Bradford who were undefeated in SL at the time and running away at the top of our league, getting beaten by 60 odd points by Auckland who were bottom of the Aussie league, then the 1999 Tri Nations where we were nearly beaten by the Maori side and Burleigh Bears....the Aussies were laughing their pants off at British RL and when Morley went over as the Great White Hope they were waiting for him to fail. It also didn't help that the team he was going to join was the Roosters who were seen as a team who talked big every year and signed big names who didn't perform.

I remember when they signed him, all the talk was about what a dirty thug he was (he's the only player ever who was pre-loaded with disciplinary points with the judiciary when he started his NRL career, which was bang out of order IMO), and how he might have been hard in SL but he would find it a lot harder to intimidate guys like Gordon Tallis and Ruben Wiki over there. Even in his first season when he broke his arm the jury was out on him and there were plenty of people saying he was not going to make it. It was his second season, when he had an injury free run, when he was the best forward in the NRL and the Roosters won the Grand Final, that he proved himself in the face of a lot of scepticism, and he probably managed to get a level of respect for British players which has now meant guys like Ellis, Burgess and now Graham get received with excitement by their fans. I think Morley had it very hard with a lot of critics, and a lot of Aussie players who would have loved the idea of knocking down the "British enforcer" but for him to prove in the face of that he was not only the most feared but the best forward in the NRL for a few years when the Roosters kept making Grand Finals, I think he is the best forward of his generation.

He was made the best offer that Saints have ever made to any player, but that didn't change his mind. If Saints can't change his mind with money, Warrington certainly won't be able to.

He isn't going for money. He is going for the challenge, to fulfill a lifetime ambition. No monetary value can be placed on that.

I think when lefty was talking about his return after he has his fun/ fails/ get's homesick/is too old for the NRL any more. Although he says he wouldn't want to play against saints it will be three years time and would probably like a nice cheque before he gets moved to Salford or Widnes.

In that case, I am sure he would be tempted by Moran's money bags and the super league champions Warrington (I can hope) offering him a lucrative contract.

I may be mistaken by speaking for lefty. However, I feel there is something to this.

50, i still fry with that on whilst in the south of france!

Good luck to Graham, a fine forward I would have loved to see play for us.

A man true to his word. Few and and far between in today's society.

I know what you are saying Sal and I bow to your knowledge and memory.
What I was sort of getting at was that I can't remember Morley having that sort of (petulant is probably the wrong word) Animated personality like Graham has.
Your memory is better than mine but I cant remember many Aussie props over the years that have the sort of expressions during a game that we see with Graham. I cant remember Aussie props having a go at the ref if things weren't going their way but I clearly see more of Graham than I have done of the NRL over the years
Still he is a great player and I am sure he will do well in the NRL and maybe he will chill out a bit without losing his enthusiasm during his time in Aus.

Being out here in Oz for the last couple of years and watching the NRL week in week out, I think its good to see British players cutting it out here. Moz certainly paved the way , and now Ellis , Burgess and even Flanagan are going great guns,gaining the players respect and even the likes of cynics like Gus Gould and more importantly the RL fans who live and breathe the game out here. There are constant articles in the national press, segments on the likes of The Footy Show, and other RL shows profiling them interviewing them etc. Personally I'd like to see more of them out here , it will certainly help the international game.

The fat moaning, ginger tossser is gonna fry like a vampire.

Fair play to him,just shows he want to test him self at the highest level.Shame more English players havent got the balls to go and give the NRL a try.Is it because they might get found out,that they are not as good as the British press make them out to be.

Apparantley he's only packing his essentials; a pram, a dummy and his toys.

On Twitter, Daniel Anderson has mentioned how Jammer always talked about playing in the NRL. Jammer himself has said that he was tempted to go at the last round of contract negotiations but opted to stay. However, he felt this would be his last chance as Saints would want him to sign a longer contract this time (spot on) and he would be too old then to try it in the NRL. Nothing naive in recognising that while the man will want to make a living, there are other motivations. James Roby was also approached but he wants to stay in St Helens with his family playing for his local club. In his words, he 'couldn't be happier' than he is at present, so he signed up. He will have been offered similar no doubt to James Graham. He's certainly of the same class as James Graham. But they are two different men wanting two different things out of life. It isn't all about money, no matter how cynical some people are. If it was all about money, it is very possible we would have retained him because we offered him the best deal ever made to a player at Saints. But it was about adventure and trying something new. No amount of money or other carrots can overcome that.

I hear that almost every week from a Sts fan about a wide amount of players.

I heard Kyle was offered the most of any sts player. Now Graham is. The amount of time it is said. Graham must have been offered a few million.

Not about money? You do realise the NRL salary cap is about £2.8 million pounds.