State of Origin II: NSW star Wade Graham relishing return to big time after knee reconstruction
Ready to make his comeback to the big show after a knee reconstruction, Wade Graham will also introduce a special new face to the Origin arena in Perth.
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Little William Graham will make his Origin debut on Sunday night - a moment his father Wade says is just as special as his own return to the big show.
“How good is it going to be for him to say when he’s older that his first Origin experience was when he was 10-months old and it was also the night State of Origin was played in Perth for the first time,’’ the NSW forward said.
“I’ll look for Karianne (partner) and William when the national anthem is played - it will be a special moment and a first for our family given Will wasn’t born the last time I played for the Blues.
“Hopefully it’s not too noisy for him.’’
The Cronulla co-captain’s comeback to the Origin arena after spending nine months out with a knee reconstruction is extraordinary.
Graham is on the verge of playing in the biggest game of the year for NSW after just 87-minutes of NRL this season.
It will be his fifth appearance for the Blues, with his last game being in 2017.
Not only has Graham returned in supreme condition following major knee surgery, his class in attack has shone through highlighted by four tackle busts, three line-breaks and one try-assist from his two games back against the Eels and Canberra.
Graham will start from the NSW interchange bench, but is almost certain to find himself in his familiar left-edge position at some stage during the game.
His job will be to shut-down Queensland’s lethal right-edge defensively while combining with James Maloney on the Blues left-edge in attack.
“The knee has been great all week and it’s really been a case of all systems go,’’ Graham said.
“I’ll be ready for any job Freddy (Brad Fittler) asks of me.
“Put it this way, now that I’m back, I’m not going to waste the opportunity.’’
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