Wade Graham facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 25 October 1990 Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 106 kg (16 st 10 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row, Five-eighth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wade Graham (born 25 October 1990) is an Australian former professional rugby league player. He was a strong forward who played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL), even becoming their captain. He also proudly represented Australia in international games.
Before joining the Sharks, Graham played for the Penrith Panthers. He also played for different representative teams like the Prime Minister's XIII, City Origin, Indigenous All Stars, and the New South Wales team in the famous State of Origin series.
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About Wade Graham
Wade Graham was born in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. He is from the Indigenous Australian community, specifically the Bundjalung people.
Wade's Rugby League Journey
Graham started playing junior rugby league for Blacktown City. He went to The Hills Sports High School before the Penrith Panthers signed him. He played for New South Wales in junior teams (under 16s and 18s).
Early Days with Penrith (2008-2010)
In 2008, when he was only 17 and still in high school, Wade Graham made his big debut in the NRL for the Penrith Panthers. This was in a game against the St George Illawarra Dragons. He played 8 matches in his first year.
In 2009, he scored his first NRL try against the Wests Tigers. He played in 22 matches that season and scored five tries.
In 2010, Graham decided to sign with the Cronulla Sharks for the 2011 season. He wanted to play more regular first-grade games. He finished his time with Penrith having played 12 matches and scoring 4 tries.
Joining the Cronulla Sharks (2011-2023)
In 2011, Graham made his debut for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in a game against the Canberra Raiders. He scored his first try for the Sharks in a game against the New Zealand Warriors. That year, he played in all 24 of Cronulla's matches, scoring six tries.
In 2012, Wade extended his contract with the Sharks. He played 15 matches and scored six tries that season.
In 2013, Graham was chosen to play for the NSW City team. He played his 100th NRL career match against the Wests Tigers, scoring a try in the Sharks' win. He played 23 matches for Cronulla that year.
In 2014, Graham extended his contract with Cronulla-Sutherland for another three years. He was part of a group of Cronulla players who accepted reduced bans related to a situation involving rules about what players can take. He played 19 matches and scored five tries that season.
In 2015, Graham captained the Sharks in the 2015 NRL Auckland Nines tournament. He also captained the New South Wales City team. He played in all 26 of the Sharks' matches that season and scored four tries. He was also chosen for the Indigenous All Stars team.
Premiership Win and State of Origin Debut (2016)
In 2016, Graham played for the Indigenous All Stars. He made his debut for New South Wales in Game 3 of the 2016 State of Origin series.
On 2 October 2016, Wade Graham was part of the Cronulla team that won the 2016 grand final. This was a huge moment, as it was the club's first-ever premiership!
Later Career and Retirement (2017-2023)
In 2017, Graham was again selected for the 2017 State of Origin series. The Sharks finished 5th that season.
In 2018, Graham faced an injury that kept him out for much of the season. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a finals match, which meant he couldn't play for the rest of the year.
Graham made a strong return in 2019. He was selected for Game 2 of the 2019 State of Origin series, where he played a key role in New South Wales' big win. New South Wales went on to win the series, which was their first back-to-back series win since 2005. He also captained the Australia Prime Minister's XIII team and was named in the Australian team for the 2019 Rugby League World Cup 9s.
In 2020, Graham played 19 games for Cronulla as they reached the finals.
In 2021, Graham played fewer games due to head concussions. He decided to end his season early to recover.
In 2022, he played 18 games for Cronulla, helping them finish second on the ladder. For his work helping other players, Graham received the important Rugby League Players Association Dennis Tutty Award.
In 2023, Wade Graham announced he would retire at the end of the season. In Round 24, he played his 250th game for Cronulla and scored a try. His final game was a close loss in the elimination final against the Sydney Roosters.
Images for kids
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Wade Graham
