Well, that's because it was our chairman who said so. He didn't say the same about Kyle, incidentally.

So?

How much much more ginger/orange, does he want to be?

I think it is a fair point about it being down to more than money. English people, young people especially, by and large are less keen on relocating than people from other countries. Look at football, other than Beckham you rarely see English players go abroad despite the fact you hear Gerrard/Lampard/Rooney etc linked with big clubs overseas. It's not about money either because the big clubs in Serie A and the Spanish league pay big money just like the Premiership clubs do.

Also how come at pretty much every English university, there are stacks of overseas students, but how many English students go and study abroad? It's cheaper to go and study in Europe and a lot of universities teach in English, so how come you don't get more going over there?

I reckon there's a cultural comfort zone thing, by and large Brits prefer to stay at home with what they know than go to a different environment. A lot of players are willing to switch from RL in England to try RU in England but when it comes to going abroad its a different kettle of fish.

If James Graham was money driven then he'd have stayed at saints for his testimonial and then gone to the NRL straight after, he'll be giving up some serious money by missing out on a testimonial.

His timing has suprised me a bit, i thought he would have stayed for 2 more years at saints so that he could play in the new stadium and have his testimonial, time is still on his side as he hasn't even hit his prime yet for a forward.

As I have stated earlier, I am pleased that Graham has been true to his word and gone and tested himself. But, if anybody thinks he has done this at the expense of his earning power, then they are seriously naive.

Spot on.
Graham will be earning quite a big wad I would imagine and good luck to him for doing so,short career rugby is.

No one has said it was [iat the expense of[/i anything. He has wanted to play in the NRL for years and has been open about it. It was a dream of his when he played in the youth teams. What I am saying is that money alone does not drive some people. If his ambition had been to see Saints win another Grand Final before he expires (something that is looking less and less likely the number of times we turn up but lose!) then regardless of what the Doggies or anyone else had offered him financially, he would have stayed. Just as Roby has stayed, because no amount of money would have motivated him to go. He has other priorities. Jammer has other priorities. We could have offered him double the amount of money the Doggies offered and he would not have stayed. His priority is to go to the NRL before it is too late for him to try it. He has said that clearly, he has been consistent about it and I have no reason at all to doubt him on it. Just as I have no reason at all to doubt James Roby when he says he couldn't be happier than doing what he is doing at present: playing for his local team.

So is he going to be getting more money from Canterbury than he would have done at Saints?
Or not?

You don't know - this is up there with those Matt King is on half a billion pounds a year assumptions of yore.

English football players dont go aboard beacuse like english super league players,they will get found out.Ie they are not very good.

Good luck to him. I'll always wish an Englishmen to do well playing in a country the other side of the world. Graham, for me, as earnt his chance to play in the NRL, and to test himself at the highest level week in week out, so good luck to him. He's a class player.

That's rubbish, very few of our exports fail.

Look at what Barca fans still think of Linekar for example, or look what Beckham did at Madrid.

Throw in Platt, Ince, Hoddle, Waddle, Wilkins, McManaman for good measure.

Even the ones like Owen or Woodgate were very highly thought of, yet people say they failed, they didn't, Owen was loved at Madrid by their fans. Yes, you get the odd Blissett or Hughes but laregly our players do well.

Back to SL, I think lots of our players would go well over there, I think some of our backs would too, playing off quality halves and getting good ball. I'd like to see a Ryan Hall, Chris Bridge, Kirk Yeaman give it a go. Gleeson was the one, clearly he's had his opportunities and not taken them but I would have really like to have seen him give the NRL a go.

So then that's going to negate the advantage of any salary increase he is getting.

I reckon you're just playing the "he will get getting paid well" card as a way of saying something negative about his decision. I bet if he had REALLY wanted to maximise his financial gain, he could have stayed in the UK and dropped hints to Warrington that he was interested, I am sure with players leaving us next year that he would have been able to get a big deal from us and he wouldn't have to relocate or anything. Even if that meant he could just leverage up his offer to stay at Saints, there were ways to play the finance card and stay in the UK.

Canterbury will have had to put a deal to Graham that is roughly in the ballpark of his market rate, to get him to consider. But NRL clubs are not short of talent on their own doorstep, so the idea that they would throw huge money at a guy who has never played in the NRL because they are that desperate is rubbish.

Every time we have signed players, we've been assured from other fans that they are only joining us because of the money. Remember when we signed Monaghan, the Hull fans said "yeah good player but not worth the price you're paying for him", Wigan fans said the same thing about Matt King. And then with Morley we had "yeah good player in his day but he's past his best and a 4 year contract LOL you're welcome to him, he will probably retire after 2"

Not in one instance I have denigrated Graham in his decision, quite the opposite. But to imply he would be financially impeded is foolish to say the least, after all this is his livelihood.

I find your imposition quite churlish.