Sharks star Wade Graham's 2018 campaign was hampered by injuries.
The 28-year old played 18 matches last season after dealing with two hamstring injuries, a broken cheekbone, a concussion and a medial knee injury, eventually suffering a season-ending ruptured ACL during team's qualifying final loss to the Roosters.
Graham is not expected to return until around halfway through the 2019 season as he rehabs his ACL injury.
However, the second-rower welcomed his first child into the world with fiancee Karianne Lafrance last year and enjoyed spending Christmas with her family in Canada as Graham looks to get his body right.
And the 2017 Australian World Cup representative is looking to make the most of his time on the sidelines and focus on the positives.
“There were a lot of injuries and a lot of different injuries,” Graham told the Daily Telegraph.
“It was one of those years. I have an opportunity now to spend seven or eight months in the gym.
“Spending this time to have a break for a bit and get myself in the best shape possible so when I do come back I’ll hit the ground running.
“I’m trying to look at the bright side — having a seven-month break in the gym, I’m not going to be getting banged up every week. I’ll have the opportunity to train really hard without the bumps and bruises.
“If anything, it could launch the back-end of my career. I’m 28 now. I’m on the other side (of my career). If I treat this break right and work hard enough on the field and in the gym it could really launch me into the back-end of my career. That’s how I’m looking at it.
“You can’t spend too much time down and thinking about it.
“Prior to this year I’d had a great run with injuries.”
Graham has been widely touted as Paul Gallen’s successor as the club's next skipper, but he expects his injury to delay that potential transition.
“It’ll be tough now missing half the season,” Graham said.
“It’s a bit more of that transitional period.
“It’s set in stone now that this will be his last season. For a long time there has been ‘is Gal (Gallen) going again, isn’t he going again’?
“With this season being his last, the club will look to transition a bit more.
“Unfortunately our plans that we put in motion have been disrupted because of my knee injury. I won’t be there for the first half of the season but it gives an opportunity for some of the other guys to step into that leadership role and grow.”
Keep those comments about Sam to yourself eh. You weren’t there, don’t know the details, nor do you have any right to pass judgement. “Wreck his marriage and young family” … that’s such a crude thing to say. Comment about stuff to do with the post… don’t just try stirring the pot or drawing attention to yourself. I mean, even though I’m sure you have played at the highest standard of sport like Sam Burgess has, just refrain yourself from commenting. Would you be okay having this much media attention surrounding your family if you were going through a break-up or some other kind of personal issue?
Good call Taylor2warriors. Common sense and good manners in a world gone mad. Everyone thinks they are a star with talent and qualified to comment of
n other peoples lives
Yeh mate, that was below the belt…….. get a life would ya!!!!
Like Taylor said….. make a comment that’s actually relevant to the article you dope!
Well said. I come on this site to read constructive comments, but Mr woodchook aka?? wants to hijack every conversation with his rubbishing of people and his childish repetitive emojis ( or whatever they are called).
Guys please understand that woodchook is not the full quid, best to not acknowledge any of his posts.
That is my New Year’s resolution. The heading says 5 COMMENTS but only yours is there, what happened?
Can’t argue that
Injury prone and has been for a few seasons now, since the 2013 season he has played 84 games for a season average of 14 per season. This article states he played 18 games this season which is incorrect. he was injured for half a year and played just 12.
Could be a waste of money if he only plays 14 games per season and sits on the sidelines for 10.💪😎👍
Graham coming back from an ACL injury & missing half the 2019 season. Won’t really make for a great 2019 season.
There’s always the chance that he could also suffer another ACL injury immediately. As so many others have done.
Agreed. Past his use by date and always overrated as a player I thought.
But then I think the pundits often wet their pants over young players, promoting them too much way too early in their careers and these kids don’t quite make the cut. There’s been a few them over the last few seasons, the best or worst example (however you look at it ) being Ash Taylor. Useless as Tits on a bull.
Forwards always need at least two years before they hit their straps again. JWH and Taukeiaho finally got their confidence back and played to their full potential this season after suffering knee reconstructions, look at how poor Scott played for the Cowboys in 2018 after missing all of 2017 he will probably get back to his devastating best near the end of the season as the semis approach. Its not just the physical side of things but the mentality of getting confidence that it wont buckle again.
I think Wade Graham con just about wipe this season out, he certainly won’t have much confidence if he misses 11 or 12 weeks this season and will find it difficult during the big semis this season😎
It appears woodchook has introduced another personality, welcome Biff, how long till Russ comes back?
Penso well done on picking out the deceitful chook long before he exposed himself…… pensoDecember 17, 2018 at 8:20 pm
Once again , woodchook raises his ugly head when his alter ego Russ comes out, just say what you want as a Easts supporter and drop the pretence,.
Give it up ManWar78, your miles off the truth by quoting the paranoid Souffths fan. 💪👴👍
😂😁🤣😆😂😁🤣😆😂😁🤣😆😂😁🤣
Penso and WoodChook, thanks for the welcome. I’ve been reading you guys , and others, slogging it out on here for weeks now but only recently decided I’d throw my 10 cents worth in. I can definitely say I don’t know anyone on here, well I’m pretty sure I don’t, but with all pseudonyms, would knows – you could be anyone.
But let me say this, there are some good points on various topics you and other members have made and some I don’t agree with at all. But the common link here is you all seem passionate about your footy and that’s what makes it a great game.
What I really want to know, I obviously missed something over the last few weeks, is what happened to Reg Reagan and his mate? Was it Angry Eagle? I thought I saw something about him being banned
So what happened there?