Mark Graham (rugby league)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mark Graham (born 29 September, 1955[1]) is a New Zealand retired rugby league footballer and coach. A back-rower and former captain of the New Zealand national rugby league team, he has been named as the greatest player the country has produced in the century from 1907 to 2006.
An Otahahu junior, Graham played in 29 tests, captaining the Kiwis side in 18 of them and scoring 7 tries from 1977 to 1988. In 1980, in a test at Lang Park, Brisbane, Graham put a hit on Australian captain Wally Lewis that crushed his oesophagus[2]. In another trans-Tasman test at Lang Park in 1985, he served as Kiwi captain and was deliberately taken out of the game by a high shot from Noel 'Bushranger' Cleal while playing brilliantly and inspirationally.[citation needed] After winning premierships with his club in New Zealand he played eight seasons in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership with the Norths club under coach Graeme Lowe[3], as well as the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the North Sydney Bears between 1981 and 1988. In 1989m his biography Mark my words: The Mark Graham Story was published.
In 1996 Graham was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. He went on to coach the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL for two seasons in 1999 and 2000. He later became defensive coach for the Japanese rugby union club, Kintetsu.
In August, 2006 Graham was named at second-row in the North Sydney Bears' team of the century. In 2007, he was named at second row in the New Zealand Kiwis Team of the Century and also further honoured as New Zealand's rugby league Player of the Century. In 2008, Graham was also named at second-row in a Norths Devils all-time greatest team.
[edit] References
- ^ Gary Lester (editor) (1983). The Sun Book of Rugby League - 1983. Sydney, New South Wales: John Fairfax Marketing. pp. page 62. ISBN 0909558833.
- ^ Meares, Peter (2003). Legends of Australian sport: The Inside Story. Australia: University of Queensland Press. pp. 138. ISBN 0702234109, 9780702234101. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aMw_Zpew2OgC.
- ^ northsydneybears.com.au. "Mark Graham". website of the North Sydney Bears. http://www.northsydneybears.com.au/history/legends/graham.htm. Retrieved on 2008-09-28.
[edit] External links
- Mark Graham at nzhalloffame.co.nz
- Graham is best in 100 years - article at stuff.co.nz
- Mark Graham at rugbyleagueproject.org
- MARK GRAHAM NAMED NEW ZEALAND'S PLAYER OF THE CENTURY - article at rleague.com
- Mark Graham at eraofthebiff.com
- Mark Graham at yesterdayshero.com.au
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| Preceded by Frank Endacott 1997-1998 |
Coach New Zealand Warriors 1999-2000 |
Succeeded by Daniel Anderson 2001-2004 |
