Now I've looked at the photo I'm not sure what the big deal is.
I could quite happily believe Graham is shouting in his ear to wind him up until Slater complained about being bitten.

Looking at the picture it doesn't look like a bite at all. More like a split from a punch.

If Graham came out and denied it I'd tend to believe him, though the fact that he hasn't does make me wonder.

Jeez your at it again, condemning players without a shread of proof. It looks like nowt to me from a tough but fair player both on and OFF the pitch

Graham isn't being paid to make friends he's being paid to bash Aussies and that is exactly what he is doing.

Is it that time of the month again?

I'm not condemning anyone, merely commenting on what I saw - the Aussie press is reporting that he's facing the longest ban in NRL history, so I clearly wasn't having some kind of hallucination.

As for the making friends bit - you know exactly what I mean.

Its all done and dusted, the VT boys have already condemned him.


No need for any panel to sit, its been decided already.


Move on.

For my money what you saw was Graham abusing Slater by shouting into his ear for a prolonged period. Silly perhaps but had the nashers been in use for that length of time Slater would now have a bloody stump where he once had an ear.

Loan pom versus the Aussie press. Martin Luther King would have received a fairer trial from the Klu Klux Klan.

Finally I don't know what you mean and I never have on this particular point. You want a role model then look up to your dad, your favourite teacher or a charity worker, not a RL player for heavens sake. If you want an ambassador ring the Foreign Office. If you want a hard as nails quality RL player to emulate then look at Graham because that's what he's good at and that's what he's there for.

If he is found guilty so be it, he will pay the penalty. However in a highly charged game where Saint Slater put it about a bit he may well have made an accusation in the heat of battle he now regrets but can't back down from. In the many shaded world most of us live in these things happens all to often.

IMO there is no doubt he bit him, I've watched the incident a few times now and he is not shouting in his ear, he is defo chomping on it, maybe not to the extent that he "[iwould now have a bloody stump where he once had an ear [/i"


Slater makes the accusation almost immediatley after if you listen very carefully, unfortunately he's bang to rights can't see anything other than a lengthy bam


As for Slater "Putting himself about a bit" I think his on field conduct was superb and as a full back show more aggression than a lot of the forwards in the UK game, that doesnt make him a dirty player or his game unfair, just that he's a very passionate player, I deffinately didn't see him do anything questionable, even the incident just prior to the scuffle with Graham was not from his instigation, he was commited to a tackle which he then tried to pull out of, then got pushed back to the floor

When you say there is no evidence that clearly isn't true Vasty.

It isn't necessarily conclusive evidence but poeple will make a judgement based on what they have.
VT is very strong evidence but I agree with you that I don't actually see a clear bite. Unfortunately, once Slater has put the suggestion out there, people's perception of the VT change without any more or less evidence.

I assume canterbury and Graham are seeking advice about what to say otherwise he would have been talking about it.
I hope he has a good case....he should get in touch with John Terry's if you ask me.

As for role models, I disagree with you there. They don't have to be role models, but I will think more of the Honourable Warrior type of player, like a Ray Price or a Kevin Ward rather than a cheap shot Ryan Bailey or Chris Burton.
They don't have to do anything, but in a business where "personal brand" and sponsorship is talked about a lot, it is important if you want to make something of yourself.

If Graham is found guilty, is brand has been dashed pretty badly.

In your desperate rush to disagree with pretty much everything I type, you're once again guilty of ascribing me with an opinion I don't actually have; I never said anything about him being a role model and I'm not sure I ever have. The point I'm making is that in the showcase game of the NRL season, he'll be perceived as bringing the sport into disrepute; not great for his club or the NRL itself.

I totally agree with you by the way in terms of his toughness and quality - whilst the British game is largely disregarded as an irrelevance by a lot of people in Oz, Sam Burgess and James Graham continue to knock the tar out of their Aussie counterparts and challenge that view. I'm sure I read somewhere that Graham's contribution to the Bulldog's style of play this season has changed the way that other clubs are coaching their forwards - now they all want a big, hard-hitting prop who can also act as a pivot. Hardly the flop that some people predicted!

Are you still waffling on.

I've made my reply to your original post, I'm not going to change my mind - I think I'm right - don't take it personal.

Don't worry though, you seem to have popular opinion with you on this one which must make a nice change - so enjoy.

PS: If I attempted to reply let alone disagree with your endless tomes I'd be dead through exhaustion by now.

You might be an overly aggressive misanthrope Vasty, but you're good value.

Graham has entered a non-guilty plea

I hope he wins