James Graham’s premiership predictions, the struggle of change and the reality of the ‘bubble’

In the latest episode of Kenty Prime Time, hosts Paul Kent and Johnny Elias sat down with UK rugby league legend James Graham to dive deep into the business end of the season, the psychology of elite performance, and the often-difficult transition from the professional 'bubble' to everyday life.

The Race for the Premiership

With the finals fast approaching, the conversation naturally turned to who has the mettle to go all the way. Despite some fluctuations in form across the league, Graham remains firm on who he believes will be lifting the trophy.

"I think Penrith will. And the reason I say that is because of their experience. They're in form. I think if there's a team that can win it from outside the top four, it's them."

Graham noted that while other teams like Melbourne are "very comfortable," they don't seem "100%" at the moment. He also highlighted the emotional narrative of the season, expressing a soft spot for the underdog story currently unfolding in the nation's capital.

"What I'd love to happen is Canberra vs Bulldogs. The rise of the Raiders has been nothing short of remarkable. For the greater good of the competition and for the belief that every NRL fan of any club would have, if the Raiders win it, everyone goes 'we're going to be the Raiders of next year'."

Preparation for Chaos

Reflecting on his time under top-tier coaches, Graham explained that the dominance of teams like Penrith isn't down to luck or "on the fly" brilliance, but rather a specific type of high-pressure rehearsal.

"The great teams prepare for those situations, rehearse those situations. They're not going to get it perfect all the time, but they know what to do. It's not a shock all of a sudden. At St Helens, we were prepared for chaos. Christian Woolf would do ten minutes of scenario-based training. There's ten minutes to go, we're up by four, and we've had a man in the bin. How are we going to practice that?"

He argued that while struggling teams are still "ironing out issues in their style," elite teams have the luxury of practicing for the rare, high-pressure moments that decide Grand Finals.

The Difficulty of Leaving the ‘Bubble’

One of the more poignant moments of the discussion centred on Graham’s personal struggle with retirement. For a man whose life was dictated by a rigorous schedule for two decades, the sudden lack of intensity was a shock to the system.

"I find I think most people get anxious around change. The biggest one for me was coming out of the bubble of a professional NRL environment. I didn't want to leave that bubble and then I did and I found it really difficult to adapt to a new life. I almost institutionalised myself into that way of being. I miss that person that wanted to do that, that was willing to go out there. I miss that sense of danger."

Graham described the transition as feeling like a "lost dog" for the first six months, moving from a world of constant feedback and physical "conquest" to a business world that often lacks that same brutal honesty.

Accountability and Elite Standards

The panel also touched upon the changing landscape of player management and the recent legal cases involving training methods at certain clubs. Graham, known for his uncompromising "honesty first" policy, offered a staunch defence of the rigours of elite sport.

"I'm not here to sugar-coat things. If something needs saying, I'll say it. In sport, it's confrontation because it's so performance-driven. There's just some wording that I don't like, and it's 'I was made to do this'. No, you don't know what being made to do something is. There's victims of genuine victims in society that get made to do things. They don't have a choice. As an athlete, you have a choice. At no point was I ever forced. It's an insult to people that have been forced to do things against their will."

A New Perspective

Now a fixture in the media landscape, Graham admits he has had to "dial down the intensity of life" to suit a world that doesn't always operate at 100 miles per hour. While he still misses the rush of "running into someone and standing over them," he is finding a new kind of satisfaction in the analytical side of the game.

"I have this saying: it's difficult to make a plan for a person you don't know yet. How can I plan for who I don't know who I'll be? My whole world will change."

For now, that world involves sharing his wealth of knowledge with the FanaticsTV audience, even if he still refuses to adopt the "beauty regimes" and $60 shampoos of the modern generation of players.

"Whatever's on special. They all do the job."

Watch the full episode on Fanatics TV.