James Graham – how many weeks?
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HappilyManly
Journey Man
James Graham cops 12 match ban for biting Billy Slater's ear during the 2012 grand final by: Andrew Webster From: The Daily Telegraph October 05, 2012 12:00AM
BULLDOGS prop James Graham was so adamant he did not bite Billy Slater's ear that he was protesting his innocence to coach Des Hasler as he walked into the dressing room after the grand final.
The Bulldogs prop received a 12-match suspension from the NRL judiciary Thursday night after the panel of former players Michael Buettner, Royce Ayliffe and Mal Cochrane took no more than 10 minutes to find him guilty.
A shattered Graham stared blankly ahead after the ban was handed down. Hasler was visibly angry.
Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg was equally stunned with the severity of the suspension.
"James came to both Des and myself in the dressing room straight after the grand final and protested his innocence," Greenberg told The Daily Telegraph late last night. "He did that from the moment after the game. That's why we didn't take the early guilty plea.
JAMES Graham will have four matches of any suspension served before the start of the next NRL season if he is found guilty of biting Billy Slater."That's why we didn't ask for leniency. We simply came here and spoke the truth on his part. And he's now extremely shattered by the result.
"We had no spin, no angle, no secret."
From the moment Graham appeared to latch on to Slater's ear in Mike Tyson-like fashion during a brawl in Sunday's decider, most in the game considered him guilty.
Yet he was genuinely bewildered at the mere suggestion from NRL prosecutor Peter Kite that he had committed one of the grubbiest acts on a football field.
"It is a false one," Graham insisted. "At no stage did I have the thought of biting his ear or any part of his body. I've played over 250 first-grade matches and the game since I was seven years old and I have never bit anyone. I can't understand why I would choose an NRL grand final to do it. If I did, I would see the teeth marks. I can't see any bite marks in the photos."
Pressed on whether there was any possibility of him biting him, intentionally or otherwise, Graham said: "I consider myself an honest player - I did not bite him intentionally or by accident."
While several damning camera angles and photographs of the incident were submitted, Graham's barrister Nick Ghabar laid down several layers of evidence in an attempt to clear the English import's name.
That included expert opinion from his dentist and the curious scene of the Bulldogs prop removing a plate that had a fake lower anterior right lateral incisor.
His former coach at St Helens, ABC Radio commentator Daniel Anderson, was called as a character witness.
But the fundamental part of Graham's defence was that there was "no evidence of an actual bite".
"The last time I took a bite of something it was with my mouth open, not closed," Graham said.
He also explained how he didn't consider himself to be much of a fighter, and two incidents involving Souths captain Sam Burgess and Manly captain Jason King from earlier in the season showed he preferred to get in a "clinch" position to avoid being punched.
Asked if that was also the case when he got in close with the Storm fullback, Graham replied: "I've got in to stop any punches hitting me ... until everything had calmed down."
Ghabar also argued that it could not be proved that the blood and marks visible on Slater's left ear were definitely because of a Graham bite.
He said it could've been because of the initial altercation with Bulldogs replacement David Stagg.
Because Graham's dentist said that the prop had several broken and sharp teeth, Ghabar said that "perhaps sharp teeth came into contact with (Slater's ear) without an actual bite".
Yet every twist and turn of the evidence failed to convince the three-man panel.
There was a touch of comedy before the hearing.
Inspired by The Daily Telegraph's back page this week, an Englishman wearing a Hannibal Lecter mask abused an ashen-faced Graham as he walked into Rugby League Central. "You won't be biting anyone after tonight," he shouted.
While most in the game were mystified at Graham's decision to plead not guilty, the word out of the Bulldogs late yesterday was that coach Hasler and his coaching staff had devised a "brilliant" strategy to dodge the charge.
What angered the Bulldogs most was the penalty.
While Kite had suggested a 10- to 12-week ban, Ghabar believed the suspensions of Titans fullback (four matches) and Bulldogs forward Brad Morrin (eight weeks) meant he warranted less.
----------------------------------------
Hilarious, the Dogs obviously have no access to TV coverage of the NRL GF😛
As is this comment on the story on the DT site:
Jaiden of North p
Posted at 10:24 PM October 04, 2012
This is the problem with night Grand Finals. The poor bloke was clearly hungry. If it was played at 3pm he would have had a good lunch and wouldnt have felt the need to eat Slater's ear.😛
BULLDOGS prop James Graham was so adamant he did not bite Billy Slater's ear that he was protesting his innocence to coach Des Hasler as he walked into the dressing room after the grand final.
The Bulldogs prop received a 12-match suspension from the NRL judiciary Thursday night after the panel of former players Michael Buettner, Royce Ayliffe and Mal Cochrane took no more than 10 minutes to find him guilty.
A shattered Graham stared blankly ahead after the ban was handed down. Hasler was visibly angry.
Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg was equally stunned with the severity of the suspension.
"James came to both Des and myself in the dressing room straight after the grand final and protested his innocence," Greenberg told The Daily Telegraph late last night. "He did that from the moment after the game. That's why we didn't take the early guilty plea.
JAMES Graham will have four matches of any suspension served before the start of the next NRL season if he is found guilty of biting Billy Slater."That's why we didn't ask for leniency. We simply came here and spoke the truth on his part. And he's now extremely shattered by the result.
"We had no spin, no angle, no secret."
From the moment Graham appeared to latch on to Slater's ear in Mike Tyson-like fashion during a brawl in Sunday's decider, most in the game considered him guilty.
Yet he was genuinely bewildered at the mere suggestion from NRL prosecutor Peter Kite that he had committed one of the grubbiest acts on a football field.
"It is a false one," Graham insisted. "At no stage did I have the thought of biting his ear or any part of his body. I've played over 250 first-grade matches and the game since I was seven years old and I have never bit anyone. I can't understand why I would choose an NRL grand final to do it. If I did, I would see the teeth marks. I can't see any bite marks in the photos."
Pressed on whether there was any possibility of him biting him, intentionally or otherwise, Graham said: "I consider myself an honest player - I did not bite him intentionally or by accident."
While several damning camera angles and photographs of the incident were submitted, Graham's barrister Nick Ghabar laid down several layers of evidence in an attempt to clear the English import's name.
That included expert opinion from his dentist and the curious scene of the Bulldogs prop removing a plate that had a fake lower anterior right lateral incisor.
His former coach at St Helens, ABC Radio commentator Daniel Anderson, was called as a character witness.
But the fundamental part of Graham's defence was that there was "no evidence of an actual bite".
"The last time I took a bite of something it was with my mouth open, not closed," Graham said.
He also explained how he didn't consider himself to be much of a fighter, and two incidents involving Souths captain Sam Burgess and Manly captain Jason King from earlier in the season showed he preferred to get in a "clinch" position to avoid being punched.
Asked if that was also the case when he got in close with the Storm fullback, Graham replied: "I've got in to stop any punches hitting me ... until everything had calmed down."
Ghabar also argued that it could not be proved that the blood and marks visible on Slater's left ear were definitely because of a Graham bite.
He said it could've been because of the initial altercation with Bulldogs replacement David Stagg.
Because Graham's dentist said that the prop had several broken and sharp teeth, Ghabar said that "perhaps sharp teeth came into contact with (Slater's ear) without an actual bite".
Yet every twist and turn of the evidence failed to convince the three-man panel.
There was a touch of comedy before the hearing.
Inspired by The Daily Telegraph's back page this week, an Englishman wearing a Hannibal Lecter mask abused an ashen-faced Graham as he walked into Rugby League Central. "You won't be biting anyone after tonight," he shouted.
While most in the game were mystified at Graham's decision to plead not guilty, the word out of the Bulldogs late yesterday was that coach Hasler and his coaching staff had devised a "brilliant" strategy to dodge the charge.
What angered the Bulldogs most was the penalty.
While Kite had suggested a 10- to 12-week ban, Ghabar believed the suspensions of Titans fullback (four matches) and Bulldogs forward Brad Morrin (eight weeks) meant he warranted less.
----------------------------------------
Hilarious, the Dogs obviously have no access to TV coverage of the NRL GF😛
As is this comment on the story on the DT site:
Jaiden of North p
Posted at 10:24 PM October 04, 2012
This is the problem with night Grand Finals. The poor bloke was clearly hungry. If it was played at 3pm he would have had a good lunch and wouldnt have felt the need to eat Slater's ear.😛
Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
LOL cant believe the BUTTHURT dogs fans
It's like Egypt over there in Bel-less.
Everyone is a Queen of de-nile
Everyone is a Queen of de-nile
Stevo
First Grader
Ha ha. What a tosser. He doesn't like to fight yet he ran into a brawl to get in a clinch position so he wouldn't get punched. **** defence. They would have seen right through that.
I would profess my innocence straight away too if i was beyond ashamed at myself for what i had done. He probably cant admit to himself that he's a grub.
I would profess my innocence straight away too if i was beyond ashamed at myself for what i had done. He probably cant admit to himself that he's a grub.
They needed OJ's lawyer.
What a classic "I don't like to throw punches" then why did you throw 3 or four of them on slater when he fell over after you big him?
Just face up to it, you've done something wrong, you have been found guilty and the evidence is damning. You'll earn more respect and forgiveness from admitting your mistake and apologising than you will from trying to deny it
Just face up to it, you've done something wrong, you have been found guilty and the evidence is damning. You'll earn more respect and forgiveness from admitting your mistake and apologising than you will from trying to deny it
eagle chick
Reserve Grader
"The club's gamble, forfeiting any prospect of leniency, backfired spectacularly." What a brilliant one-liner to read first thing in the morning!!!!!
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/hannibal-lecter-mask-cannot-break-silence-of-the-damned-20121004-272om.html#ixzz28NHjVxOM
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/hannibal-lecter-mask-cannot-break-silence-of-the-damned-20121004-272om.html#ixzz28NHjVxOM
A dingo did it.
Hamster Huey
Space Invader
Chip and Chase said:
Surprised the 'brilliant defence' didn't go something like this;
Gentlemen of this supposed panel, I have one final thing I want you to consider.
Gentlemen, this is Chewbacca.
Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. But Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now think about it; that does not make sense!
Why would a Wookiee, an 8-foot-tall Wookiee, want to live on Endor, with a bunch of 2-foot-tall Ewoks? That does not make sense!
But more important, you have to ask yourself: What does this have to do with this case? Nothing. Gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this case! It does not make sense!
Look at me. I'm a lawyer defending a James Graham, and I'm talkin' about Chewbacca! Does that make sense? Gentlemen, I am not making any sense! None of this makes sense!
And so you have to remember, when you're that panel deliberatin' and conjugatin' the Emancipation Proclamation, does it make sense? No!
Gentlemen of this supposed panel, it does not make sense! If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit! The defense rests.
Ryan
Journey Man
I shudder to think how much it cost the Bulldogs to lure this scum from UK. He should have been sentenced not only in footy, by through the courts, because by my way of thinking, that's assault.
He should be feeling very lucky.
Ok, have a push and a knuckle, but chomping on someone's ear is plain animalistic.
He should be feeling very lucky.
Ok, have a push and a knuckle, but chomping on someone's ear is plain animalistic.
HappilyManly
Journey Man
Mahesha â€@mahesha13
@RLW_Mole If the hearing was last night would Graham's suspension have included Eng games? Was the team selected in between those times?
15h The Mole â€@RLW_Mole
@mahesha13 Very complicated... basically he can NOT use GB games if suspension is longer than series
--------------------------------------------------------
Is this why Matai could not use his Kiwi games in 2010?
@RLW_Mole If the hearing was last night would Graham's suspension have included Eng games? Was the team selected in between those times?
15h The Mole â€@RLW_Mole
@mahesha13 Very complicated... basically he can NOT use GB games if suspension is longer than series
--------------------------------------------------------
Is this why Matai could not use his Kiwi games in 2010?
Jatz Crackers
First Grader
swoop said:
Its a busy place that grassy knoll.
You have no idea how hard it is to maintain & keep it from being a barren dustbowl with all the foot traffic.
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