SharkBoy
Great White
Yep nice to see it's confirmed
A.Snowden
Jaws
Bout time they confirmed it!
moruya shark
Grey Nurse
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Very Happy about this one.... bring on some more please !!!
Ibanez
Great White
Good news, happy that it's a two year deal rather than just the one I've been hearing about.
Murphy
Great White
how long did you hear??
Riverside MF
Tiger Shark
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Definitely best news of the day. Love Graham.
Go Sharkies!
Go Sharkies!
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snowman
Total gronk
what a beautiful night... my step dad (panthers queen) is spewing. reckons he will be missed more than paul aiton.
Mark^Bastard
Great White
Increase our halves depth aye? Interesting words.
Sirfishalot
Mako Shark
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Graham is a great replacement for Barrett, I think he could turrn out to be the best recruit we have had for a long time.
madsharkie
Mullet
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awesome news! Welcome to the Sharks Wade!
Can't wait to see who else we sign... heard that there's about 6 coming our way inclusing Matai and Smith. Not sure how true it is...
Can't wait to see who else we sign... heard that there's about 6 coming our way inclusing Matai and Smith. Not sure how true it is...
Google News
Newsbot
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Shark's First Bite
Cronulla sharks sign Penrith's Wade Graham
By Josh Massoud
July 28, 2010 12:00AM
ON ONE hand Wade Graham had the chance to play outside Johnathan Thurston in a tropical paradise.
His other option was to join the Cronulla Sharks - a club with no recognised halfback, a rookie coach and a CEO's office that's as empty as the trophy cabinet.
Last night, Graham snubbed the north and chose the box to become Shane Flanagan's first signing as an NRL head coach.
The kid who thought he'd never play against Penrith drove more than an hour to Toyota Park, looked Flanagan in the eye and signed a two-year deal that oozed faith in Cronulla's future.
In doing so the 19-year-old rejected North Queensland's near-identical offer and confirmed his departure from Penrith, which surprisingly didn't make a concerted bid to keep the local junior and former schoolboy prodigy.
"It was the biggest decision of my life and I probably changed my mind over the past three or four weeks," Graham told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.
"Obviously the chance to play outside JT [Thurston] was a big one. He's the best halfback in the world and I could've learned a lot from him. But I looked closely at the Sharks' forwards and they've got the makings of a really good pack.
"I see them as being in the same position as we were at Penrith a few years back. They only need to start doing the little things right to get back up there - that's the difference for us between this year and the last couple."
Although Cronulla will still boast Tim Smith, Albert Kelly, John Morris and Scott Porter next season, none of those has staked a solid claim to guide the team's attack. Graham views the void as an opportunity to stamp himself as a chief organiser - a role he was never going to achieve in the same team as Thurston.
"It's a chance to be able to progress a bit more as a player and have a bit more responsibility," said Graham, who made his NRL debut two years ago while doing his HSC.
"In schoolboys I was pretty much in control of the teams, but I've had a lesser role at Penrith because guys like Luke Walsh and Luke Lewis take more responsibility.
"They are great players and I'm more than happy to go with the coach's [Matt Elliott] game plan. But at Cronulla there's a chance to take a bigger role."
Graham discussed his pending departure with Elliott yesterday, pledging to give his all for the remainder of Penrith's 2010 campaign.
"I was actually Luke Lewis' ballboy at Blacktown juniors, so I've always been a mad Penrith fan," Graham said.
"I suppose it was a little bit disappointing that the club didn't make a counter offer, but that's modern-day football. Clubs can't keep everyone under the salary cap and they've had to make some decisions with a lot of guys [Michael Jennings, Frank Pritchard, Michael Gordon and Petero Civoniceva] coming off contract."
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=...iths-wade-graham/story-e6frexnr-1225897736015
Attachment: Headed for Shark Park...Penrith star Wade Graham. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph
Cronulla sharks sign Penrith's Wade Graham
By Josh Massoud
July 28, 2010 12:00AM
ON ONE hand Wade Graham had the chance to play outside Johnathan Thurston in a tropical paradise.
His other option was to join the Cronulla Sharks - a club with no recognised halfback, a rookie coach and a CEO's office that's as empty as the trophy cabinet.
Last night, Graham snubbed the north and chose the box to become Shane Flanagan's first signing as an NRL head coach.
The kid who thought he'd never play against Penrith drove more than an hour to Toyota Park, looked Flanagan in the eye and signed a two-year deal that oozed faith in Cronulla's future.
In doing so the 19-year-old rejected North Queensland's near-identical offer and confirmed his departure from Penrith, which surprisingly didn't make a concerted bid to keep the local junior and former schoolboy prodigy.
"It was the biggest decision of my life and I probably changed my mind over the past three or four weeks," Graham told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.
"Obviously the chance to play outside JT [Thurston] was a big one. He's the best halfback in the world and I could've learned a lot from him. But I looked closely at the Sharks' forwards and they've got the makings of a really good pack.
"I see them as being in the same position as we were at Penrith a few years back. They only need to start doing the little things right to get back up there - that's the difference for us between this year and the last couple."
Although Cronulla will still boast Tim Smith, Albert Kelly, John Morris and Scott Porter next season, none of those has staked a solid claim to guide the team's attack. Graham views the void as an opportunity to stamp himself as a chief organiser - a role he was never going to achieve in the same team as Thurston.
"It's a chance to be able to progress a bit more as a player and have a bit more responsibility," said Graham, who made his NRL debut two years ago while doing his HSC.
"In schoolboys I was pretty much in control of the teams, but I've had a lesser role at Penrith because guys like Luke Walsh and Luke Lewis take more responsibility.
"They are great players and I'm more than happy to go with the coach's [Matt Elliott] game plan. But at Cronulla there's a chance to take a bigger role."
Graham discussed his pending departure with Elliott yesterday, pledging to give his all for the remainder of Penrith's 2010 campaign.
"I was actually Luke Lewis' ballboy at Blacktown juniors, so I've always been a mad Penrith fan," Graham said.
"I suppose it was a little bit disappointing that the club didn't make a counter offer, but that's modern-day football. Clubs can't keep everyone under the salary cap and they've had to make some decisions with a lot of guys [Michael Jennings, Frank Pritchard, Michael Gordon and Petero Civoniceva] coming off contract."
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=...iths-wade-graham/story-e6frexnr-1225897736015
Attachment: Headed for Shark Park...Penrith star Wade Graham. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph
Attachments
Sharky Pete
Great White
Fantastic news, was getting a bit worried there with the club being a bit slow to confirm it.
Here's to hopefully many more signings.
Welcome to Shark Country, Wade.
UP UP CRONULLA!!!!!!
Here's to hopefully many more signings.
Welcome to Shark Country, Wade.
UP UP CRONULLA!!!!!!
Mark^Bastard
Great White
:Yes:
Sparkles
Jaws
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Looks like Baz has done us a favour in retiring when he has, Graham sounds like a really solid young player to build a future around. Nice work Flanno, once again my hopes have been raised off the floor and into a promising place heading into another season.
Tiger Shark
Jaws
Graham sounds like a pretty mature kid, something that may of stemmed from being the captain for almost all the Rep teams he has played in ?
He sounds confident in his ability, which may be portrayed as being cocky but if he backs it up then I am all for it.
Also one wonders if Flanno had a word in his ear on our other signings, who ever they might be ???
He sounds confident in his ability, which may be portrayed as being cocky but if he backs it up then I am all for it.
Also one wonders if Flanno had a word in his ear on our other signings, who ever they might be ???
WillyInBris
Jaws
:Yes::Yes::Yes::Yes::Yes:
Is it to early to start drinking? :drunk
Lets hope so Tigs
Sparkles
Jaws
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:drunk
Willy, it would be very Australian to have a celebratory brekkie schooey... unless it's with a XXXX. Still, your hearts in the right place ; )