Harrison Graham had two options when he endured a season without an NRL appearance: wallow in self-pity, or fight for his future.
The Dolphins’ hooker chose the latter, casting aside further disappointment at being relegated to Redcliffe’s Queensland Cup bench in a bid to announce himself as Jeremy Marshall-King’s successor.
Harrison Graham will be fighting to prove he still has a future in the NRL.Credit: NRL Photos
“I felt like I had a bit more of a point to prove after that,” Graham said.
“I definitely wanted to be starting, so I had to do some extra training for that. Hopefully, this year I can push for that nine position.”
Graham, the Dolphins’ first signing as a development player, was overlooked for the No.9 jumper last year in favour of versatile forward Max Plath, when Marshall-King’s injuries kept him to 17 games.
In 2023, the 23-year-old became the Kiwi star’s backup six times – averaging 34 tackles an outing, but lamenting his lack of confidence attacking around the ruck.
But ahead of the Dolphins’ first preseason clash against the Central Queensland Capras in Gladstone on Saturday, the scene where he became the club’s first try scorer, Graham voiced his intention to prove he warranted a long-term future beyond 2025.
While he admitted to feeling a pang of frustration when Plath unseated him as Marshall-King’s deputy, he was using his teammate’s meteoric rise as inspiration.
“I was obviously a bit down about it, but Maxxy’s a really good mate of mine, and I was really happy for him. It started for him in the preseason and the back end of 2023, and he just hit the ground running,” Graham said.
“I’d like to think I could do the same going into this season. Coming into this preseason I knew if something happened to Jeremy or any other hookers we might have, I’d have to be ready to go.
“I wanted to improve my fitness, the NRL is the next step up, so I’ve got to be better there, and just attacking I probably wasn’t as confident in my skill as I am now.
Harrison Graham in action for the Dolphins.Credit: NRL Photos
“I feel like I’m pretty good in my headspace and ready to play.”
Plath’s ascent last season was the second success story to come out of the Dolphins among players to battle from obscurity to hit the NRL stage, following Trai Fuller.
After almost 10 years playing for Redcliffe, the fullback became a genuine contender for the No.1 jumper, even forcing Queensland Maroons star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to centre, before suffering a ruptured ACL.
Graham will be joined on that mission to become 2025’s breakthrough man by fellow NRL fringe players Mason Teague and Peta Hola, along with a host of Dolphins hopefuls eager to ensure they factor into coach Kristian Woolf’s calculations when injuries, suspensions and representative duties impact the make-up of his side.
Dolphins veteran Mark Nicholls declared the form they had shown on the training paddock had thrust them in line to emulate the feats of Plath and Fuller.
“The perfect example was Maxxy Plath who just trained really well, went well in the trials and got our player of the year.”
Mark Nicholls
“Every year there’s a player who does come from nowhere,” Nicholls said.
“I don’t like to put any pressure on anyone … if you’re a Dolphins fan, tune in and watch the trial, and you’ll be able to decide for yourself who it might be.”
