James Graham could stand down as Bulldogs captain for 2017

WHAT’S THE BUZZ 2: Canterbury star James Graham may give up the captaincy in a bid to return to his best form.

James Graham is considering stepping down as Canterbury captain.

JAMES Graham has spoken to Canterbury officials about relinquishing the club captaincy in a bid to return to his barnstorming best.

Graham had already discussed walking away from the captaincy before reports emerged claiming club directors were attempting to strip him of the title.

The inspirational Bulldog now looks certain to step down with either Josh Jackson or Aiden Tolman to lead the club next year.

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“James is certainly open to this discussion,’’ a Bulldogs official said.

“He spoke to people about it during the year. He was the one to bring it up. He (Graham) doesn’t know if he wants the added responsibly and pressure of being the captain anymore. He wants to focus on being the best player he can be. I am not sure if anyone is pushing for him to step down.’’

Graham would be replaced as skipper by Aiden Tolman or Josh Jackson.

Graham’s captaincy was first thrown into the spotlight last year when he had a heated on-field confrontation with referee Gerard Sutton following a controversial field-goal penalty that cost the Dogs a win on Good Friday against Souths.

The Bulldogs resisted calls to axe the skipper with George Peponis and CEO Raelene Castle both publicly supporting the skipper.

Graham’s captaincy is again a hot topic following allegations key club powerbrokers want him to relinquish the role as part of the shake-up that recently almost cost coach Des Hasler his job.

Graham early this year hinted that he was becoming frustrated with his role.

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“What I’d say is the whole world is getting PC,” he said. “It’s not just a rugby league thing, it’s a life thing. You have to be super, super careful in everything you say.”

Graham has told officials that he is open to discussions when he returns from his Four Nations duties with England.

Meanwhile, at Belmore, little has changed since the coup that put Hasler in the firing line.

Despite talk of a major overhaul following the Bulldogs’ disappointing finals exit, we have been told Hasler’s schedule and training program is identical to what it was last year. Players claim nothing has changed since their return for the 2017 pre-season.

Originally published as James Graham could stand down as Bulldogs captain for 2017