Last updated 19:47, Thursday, 28 August 2008

JAMES Graham has revealed how his Cumbrian father was the inspiration behind his rugby league career.

The St Helens prop will step out tomorrow for his third consecutive Carnegie Challenge Cup final appearance.

But if it wasn’t for his dad, John, originally from Maryport, he may never have taken up the sport.

The 22-year-old, who is from Maghull, in Merseyside, was more of a football fan when he was younger.

He said: “Being in Maghull there’s not much rugby but my dad’s from Cumbria and he’s rugby mad.

“He went to the 1993 Challenge Cup final on a Saints supporters’ coach. They stopped at a newsagents and he saw a flyer for St Helens Crusaders and that was how I got into RL.

“It’s strange to think what would have happened otherwise. Maybe I’d be playing for Everton in the Premier League – or maybe not!”

Three years later in 1996, and gripped by the rugby league bug, Graham attended his first Wembley final when, thanks to the high bombs of Bobbie Goulding, Saints beat Bradford Bulls.

A year later and Graham made his first appearance on the Wembley turf playing in the traditional cup final curtain raiser alongside his Saints team-mate James Roby for St Helens schoolboys against Batley.

“As a youngster you have all sorts of dreams and ambitions. It’s strange to think there’ll probably be a kid in the crowd that goes on to do exactly what we’re all doing,” added Graham.

St Helens are currently on course to lift the League Leaders shield for topping the engage Super League and are favourites to win October’s Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 4.

Following the end of the domestic season, Graham, who is a strong contender for this year’s Man of Steel, is likely to form part of Tony Smith’s England squad aiming to win the Rugby League World Cup in Australia.