Graham Rees

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
18-04-1936
N/A
03-02-1968
Swinton
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
27-01-1968 v Workington Town
Wakefield Trinity
1972- Salford
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1967-1972
181 (36)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
33
0
0
99

Biography of Graham Rees



HERITAGE NO : 847
Graham Thomas Rees by Dave Dooley:

This tough but affable Welshman was signed from Swinton in January 1968. He was actually born in Lewisham, London but moved to Wales as a boy. He played 16 matches in his first season mostly in the second row or loose forward position. He was a battering ram type forward with excellent defensive qualities. Graham scored his first points for the club in the away 18 points to 12 victory over Batley with a brace of tries. His time at the Saints would be punctuated with regular contributions to the Saints` try tally.

Graham scored a try in the 1968 Lancashire Cup Final when Saints demolished Oldham by 30 points to 2. In that particular campaign of the 1968/9 Rees made 45 appearances for the club scoring four tries in the process. That season also brought a Lancashire League winners medal to the Rees household. The following season saw Graham on the bench during the 1970 Championship Final as Saints defeated Leeds by 24 points to 12 in a classic encounter. By this time Graham was playing regularly at prop forward.

The following two seasons witnessed Graham at the crescendo of his form. Props approaching the 30 years mark very often reach their peak on the field- this was very much the case with Rees. Graham made 43 appearances in the 1970/1 season, mostly in the front row. Rees provided the initial thrust in attack alongside Cliff Watson. In addition the Saints` pack at the time boasted players the likes of Tony Karalius, John Stephens, Bobby Wanbon, John Mantle, Eric Chisnall and Kel Coslett. This season culminated for the man from Maesteg in the Swinton sunshine that blessed the 1971 Championship Final, when a last minute try from the `Bandit Benyon` retained the trophy for the men from Knowsley Road. Graham played an important part in that Final with barnstorming runs and hard tackling that restricted Wigan to just three first half points.

His last season in a Saints` jersey was the very successful 1971/2 campaign. In a staggering 44 appearances Graham helped the Saints complete a BBC TV Trophy and Challenge Cup double. Many Saints` fans will associate Graham with this latter match when he scored the Challenge Cup Final`s fastest ever try after just 35 seconds of the contest against Leeds. Saints had penned Leeds in their own 25 yards zone from a deep Coslett kick off. After just two tackles Tony Fisher, the Leeds hooker, threw out a poor pass. Keith Hepworth immediately tried to relieve the situation with a clearing kick. However, the ever alert Rees was on hand to charge down the kick, scoop up the ovoid and plunge over the Leeds tryline for a dream start. A `copperhead` Les Jones special and the golden boot of Kel Coslett kept Saints in the lead throughout the contest to capture a fifth Challenge Cup for the Saints. One week later the same two sides fought out another tight tussle in the Championship Final at Swinton. Saints and Graham failed in their bid to win a third successive Championship as Leeds took the spoils by 9 points to 5. This proved to be Graham`s last match in a Saints` jersey before transferring to Salford in the summer of 1972. Five seasons and 181 appearances had brought honours galore for this hard running, affable giant.

In his time at the Saints Graham Rees also gained four caps for his native Wales. He scored a try in the Welsh side that defeated England by 24 points to 17 in the Principality`s return to the international scene after a fifteen-year break. He also played in sides that were defeated by France in Paris and by England at Headingley on two occasions. Graham also coached Blackpool Borough for a spell when he retired from playing.

Graham died in Manchester in August 1987, aged 51.


SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1967~68 6 0 0 16
1968~69 4 0 0 45
1969~702 0 0 19
1970~71 7 0 0 43
1971~7213 0 0 44
1972~73 1 0 0 14
TOTALS:33 0 0 181
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1969~700001
1970~71 0001
TOTALS:0002

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
27th Jan 1968 1
L
 12 Workington Town L A 5 14 VIEW
3rd Feb 1968 2
L
 11 Huddersfield CC1 H 0 5 VIEW
17th Feb 1968 3
W
 13 Batley L A 18 12 2 VIEW
23rd Feb 1968 4
L
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 10 12 VIEW
26th Feb 1968 5
W
 13 Whitehaven L H 31 8 VIEW
6th Mar 1968 6
W
 13 Warrington L A 12 6 VIEW
9th Mar 1968 7
W
 13 Blackpool Borough L A 23 7 1 VIEW
16th Mar 1968 8
W
 13 Widnes L H 18 13 1 VIEW
19th Mar 1968 9
L
 13 Leeds L H 4 12 VIEW
23rd Mar 1968 10
L
 13 Wakefield Trinity L A 3 23 VIEW
12th Apr 1968 11
W
 11 Wigan L H 24 13 VIEW
13th Apr 1968 12
L
 13 Widnes L A 7 24 VIEW
15th Apr 1968 13
W
 11 Swinton L A 19 16 1 VIEW
19th Apr 1968 14
W
 11 Halifax Ch1 H 31 2 VIEW
24th Apr 1968 15
W
 11 Warrington Ch2 H 20 0 1 VIEW
27th Apr 1968 16
L
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers ChSF A 10 23 VIEW
14th Aug 1968 17
W
 10 Wakefield Trinity L A 5 0 VIEW
20th Aug 1968 18
W
 13 Whitehaven L H 28 9 VIEW
24th Aug 1968 19
L
 11 Leeds L A 13 20 VIEW
28th Aug 1968 20
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 24 8 VIEW
31st Aug 1968 21
W
 11 Widnes L H 24 9 VIEW
2nd Sep 1968 22
W
 11 Barrow L A 17 2 VIEW
7th Sep 1968 23
W
 11 Wigan LC1 H 19 16 VIEW
10th Sep 1968 24
W
 11 Barrow FTP(1) H 21 5 VIEW
14th Sep 1968 25
W
 11 Leigh L H 27 2 VIEW
18th Sep 1968 26
W
 11 Widnes LC2 A 20 17 VIEW
20th Sep 1968 27
W
 11 Huyton L H 11 10 VIEW
23rd Sep 1968 28
L
 11 Barrow FTP(2) A 11 18 VIEW
27th Sep 1968 29
W
 10 Warrington L H 24 11 1 VIEW
4th Oct 1968 30
D
 10 Salford L A 10 10 VIEW
7th Oct 1968 31
W
 11 Leigh LCSF A 17 6 VIEW
12th Oct 1968 32
W
 11 Leeds L H 28 3 VIEW
14th Oct 1968 33
W
 11 Swinton FT1 H 12 10 VIEW
19th Oct 1968 34
W
 11 Workington Town L A 13 2 1 VIEW
25th Oct 1968 35
W
 11 Oldham LCF N 30 2 1 VIEW
30th Oct 1968 36
L
 12 Rochdale Hornets L A 2 13 VIEW
11th Nov 1968 37
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 21 5 VIEW
16th Nov 1968 38
D
 11 Salford L H 9 9 VIEW
23rd Nov 1968 --NPS
W
 15 Warrington L A 20 5 VIEW
26th Nov 1968 39
W
 11 Hull FT2 H 14 10 VIEW
4th Dec 1968 40
W
 10 Blackpool Borough L H 13 10 VIEW
10th Dec 1968 41
W
 11 Warrington FTSF H 29 6 VIEW
26th Dec 1968 42
W
 11 Wigan L AB H 11 3 VIEW
1st Jan 1969 43
W
 11 Swinton L A 15 5 VIEW
6th Jan 1969 44
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 16 5 VIEW
11th Jan 1969 45
W
 8 Whitehaven L A 9 7 VIEW
14th Jan 1969 46
W
 11 Wigan L H 13 3 VIEW
18th Jan 1969 47
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L H 17 7 VIEW
25th Jan 1969 48
W
 10 Hull CC1 A 13 3 VIEW
25th Feb 1969 49
W
 11 Oldham CC2 A 15 6 VIEW
1st Mar 1969 50
L
 11 Warrington CC3 A 2 4 VIEW
6th Mar 1969 51
W
 15 Huyton L H 37 6 VIEW
11th Mar 1969 52
W
 8 Barrow L H 32 7 VIEW
15th Mar 1969 --NPS
L
 15 Leigh L A 10 12 VIEW
24th Mar 1969 53
W
 10 Blackpool Borough L H 43 12 1 VIEW
28th Mar 1969 54
W
 15 Oldham L H 19 4 VIEW
4th Apr 1969 55
L
 15 Wigan L A 10 34 VIEW
12th Apr 1969 56
L
 15 Workington Town L H 5 8 VIEW
15th Apr 1969 57
W
 8 Oldham L A 17 2 VIEW
19th Apr 1969 58
W
 10 Doncaster L H 57 5 VIEW
26th Apr 1969 59
W
 10 Keighley Ch1 H 25 7 VIEW
3rd May 1969 60
W
 10 Featherstone Rovers Ch2 H 47 4 VIEW
10th May 1969 61
L
 10 Castleford ChSF H 6 18 VIEW
9th Aug 1969 --
W
 10 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup A 32 4 VIEW
29th Sep 1969 62
L
 15 Widnes LC2 A 14 22 VIEW
4th Oct 1969 63
W
 15 Warrington L H 11 7 VIEW
7th Oct 1969 64
L
 11 Leeds L A 7 13 VIEW
11th Oct 1969 65
W
 8 Huyton L A 28 5 VIEW
13th Oct 1969 --NPS
W
 15 Swinton FT1 A 17 9 VIEW
29th Oct 1969 --NPS
L
 15 Salford L A 12 16 VIEW
11th Dec 1969 66
L
 15 Wigan FTSF(rep) H 9 15 VIEW
13th Dec 1969 67
W
 10 Blackpool Borough L H 26 9 1 VIEW
26th Dec 1969 --NPS
W
 15 Wigan L A 53 11 VIEW
1st Jan 1970 68
D
 12 Swinton L H 18 18 VIEW
10th Jan 1970 69
W
 10 Batley L H 22 9 VIEW
27th Jan 1970 70
L
 10 Salford L H 15 16 VIEW
31st Jan 1970 71
L
 15 Leigh L A 3 6 VIEW
21st Feb 1970 --NPS
W
 15 Bramley CC2 H 17 2 VIEW
2nd Mar 1970 72
W
 8 Whitehaven L H 37 5 VIEW
10th Mar 1970 73
D
 8 Doncaster CC3 A 4 4 VIEW
14th Mar 1970 74
W
 8 Featherstone Rovers L H 22 4 VIEW
16th Mar 1970 --NPS
W
 15 Doncaster CC3(rep) H 36 0 VIEW
21st Mar 1970 75
W
 10 Batley L A 8 7 VIEW
23rd Mar 1970 --NPS
W
 15 Rochdale Hornets L A 10 0 VIEW
28th Mar 1970 76
W
 10 Leeds L H 12 5 VIEW
4th Apr 1970 77
L
 15 Castleford CCSF N 3 6 VIEW
6th Apr 1970 78
W
 9 Oldham L A 43 0 VIEW
10th Apr 1970 79
W
 15 Widnes L H 15 12 VIEW
4th May 1970 80
W
 8 Castleford ChSF(rep) H 21 12 1 VIEW
16th May 1970 --NPS
W
 15 Leeds ChF N 24 12 VIEW
7th Aug 1970 --
W
 8 Salford * Fr Gallie Cup H 29 12 VIEW
15th Aug 1970 81
D
 8 Castleford CS A 19 19 VIEW
22nd Aug 1970 82
W
 8 Bradford Northern L A 42 3 VIEW
25th Aug 1970 83
W
 8 Batley L H 35 3 1 VIEW
29th Aug 1970 84
W
 8 Huyton LC1 A 30 3 VIEW
31st Aug 1970 85
W
 8 Leigh L H 26 7 VIEW
5th Sep 1970 86
W
 8 Bramley L A 15 8 VIEW
10th Sep 1970 87
W
 8 Halifax L A 27 4 VIEW
12th Sep 1970 88
W
 8 Huddersfield L H 39 0 VIEW
15th Sep 1970 89
W
 15 Halifax L H 22 7 VIEW
17th Sep 1970 90
W
 8 Swinton LC2 H 20 7 VIEW
19th Sep 1970 91
L
 8 Swinton L A 8 22 VIEW
22nd Sep 1970 92
W
 8 Hull L H 30 9 VIEW
26th Sep 1970 93
W
 8 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 38 3 VIEW
29th Sep 1970 94
W
 10 Castleford FT1 H 14 7 VIEW
3rd Oct 1970 95
W
 8 Featherstone Rovers L A 27 18 1 VIEW
7th Oct 1970 96
W
 8 Warrington L A 12 4 1 VIEW
13th Oct 1970 97
W
 8 Warrington L H 37 6 VIEW
19th Oct 1970 98
W
 10 Bradford Northern L H 42 0 1 VIEW
6th Nov 1970 99
W
 10 Hull L A 16 2 VIEW
9th Nov 1970 100
W
 8 Australia Tour H 37 10 VIEW
14th Nov 1970 101
L
 10 Leigh L A 13 15 1 VIEW
28th Nov 1970 102
L
 10 Leigh LCF N 4 7 VIEW
30th Nov 1970 --NPS
W
 15 Leigh FT2 A 10 4 VIEW
5th Dec 1970 103
W
 8 St. Gaudens ECF(1) A 30 11 VIEW
8th Dec 1970 104
D
 10 Wigan FTSF A 7 7 VIEW
12th Dec 1970 105
W
 8 Castleford L H 9 5 VIEW
13th Dec 1970 106
W
 15 Wigan FTSF(rep) H 16 15 VIEW
15th Dec 1970 107
L
 8 Leeds FTF A 5 9 VIEW
26th Dec 1970 108
L
 15 Wigan L H 5 12 VIEW
16th Jan 1971 109
L
 10 Leeds L A 5 12 VIEW
23rd Jan 1971 110
W
 10 Workington Town CC1 A 8 6 VIEW
30th Jan 1971 111
W
 15 Whitehaven L H 27 5 VIEW
6th Feb 1971 112
W
 10 Salford L H 26 4 VIEW
27th Feb 1971 113
W
 8 Whitehaven L A 15 8 VIEW
6th Mar 1971 114
W
 15 Featherstone Rovers L H 23 16 VIEW
13th Mar 1971 115
W
 15 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 26 9 VIEW
20th Mar 1971 116
W
 15 Swinton L H 40 0 VIEW
22nd Mar 1971 117
W
 15 Leeds L H 30 9 VIEW
9th Apr 1971 118
W
 15 Wigan L A 9 6 VIEW
10th Apr 1971 119
W
 10 Batley L A 27 4 1 VIEW
12th Apr 1971 120
W
 10 Widnes L H 14 5 VIEW
17th Apr 1971 121
W
 10 Huddersfield L A 11 8 VIEW
24th Apr 1971 122
W
 10 Huddersfield Ch1 H 28 5 1 VIEW
22nd May 1971 123
W
 10 Wigan ChF N 16 12 VIEW
6th Aug 1971 124
W
 10 Leigh LC1 H 11 10 VIEW
12th Aug 1971 125
W
 10 Warrington LC2 H 23 6 VIEW
21st Aug 1971 126
W
 8 Hull L H 30 14 3 VIEW
24th Aug 1971 127
L
 10 Leeds L A 13 20 VIEW
30th Aug 1971 128
W
 15 Workington Town L H 21 14 VIEW
4th Sep 1971 129
W
 8 Keighley L H 30 19 1 VIEW
8th Sep 1971 130
L
 8 Castleford L A 13 22 VIEW
11th Sep 1971 131
W
 15 Wakefield Trinity L A 23 12 VIEW
18th Sep 1971 132
W
 8 Halifax L H 14 10 1 VIEW
21st Sep 1971 133
W
 8 Swinton FT1 A 14 9 VIEW
2nd Oct 1971 134
W
 10 Salford L H 23 12 VIEW
9th Oct 1971 135
L
 15 Bramley L A 10 15 VIEW
18th Oct 1971 136
W
 15 Oldham L H 50 2 VIEW
23rd Oct 1971 137
L
 15 Huddersfield L A 15 17 VIEW
25th Oct 1971 138
W
 15 Batley L H 35 5 VIEW
9th Nov 1971 139
W
 8 Leigh FT2 A 13 4 VIEW
13th Nov 1971 140
W
 15 Featherstone Rovers JP1 H 37 7 1 VIEW
20th Nov 1971 141
W
 8 Castleford L H 14 2 VIEW
27th Nov 1971 142
W
 8 Whitehaven JP2 A 12 0 1 VIEW
30th Nov 1971 143
W
 8 Leeds FTSF A 17 0 VIEW
11th Dec 1971 144
W
 8 Hull JP3 H 33 5 VIEW
14th Dec 1971 145
W
 8 Rochdale Hornets FTF H 8 2 VIEW
18th Dec 1971 146
L
 8 Wakefield Trinity JPSF A 9 14 VIEW
27th Dec 1971 147
L
 15 Wigan L A 3 8 VIEW
1st Jan 1972 148
W
 8 Widnes L H 33 5 1 VIEW
15th Jan 1972 149
W
 8 Keighley L A 24 4 1 VIEW
22nd Jan 1972 150
D
 8 Leeds L H 15 15 VIEW
29th Jan 1972 151
W
 8 Oldham CC1 A 8 6 VIEW
12th Feb 1972 152
W
 8 Leigh L H 20 7 1 VIEW
19th Feb 1972 153
W
 8 Huddersfield CC2 H 32 9 VIEW
26th Feb 1972 154
L
 8 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 2 5 VIEW
4th Mar 1972 155
W
 8 York CC3 A 32 5 VIEW
14th Mar 1972 156
W
 10 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 29 2 1 VIEW
18th Mar 1972 157
W
 15 Dewsbury L H 16 14 VIEW
24th Mar 1972 158
W
 8 Salford L A 7 0 1 VIEW
31st Mar 1972 159
W
 8 Wigan L H 21 4 VIEW
3rd Apr 1972 160
L
 8 Widnes L A 9 19 VIEW
6th Apr 1972 161
W
 8 Workington Town L A 19 10 VIEW
15th Apr 1972 162
D
 8 Warrington CCSF N 10 10 VIEW
19th Apr 1972 --NPS
W
 15 Warrington CCSF(rep) N 10 6 VIEW
22nd Apr 1972 163
W
 10 Hull Kingston Rovers Ch1 H 25 5 VIEW
28th Apr 1972 164
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets Ch2 H 17 5 VIEW
4th May 1972 165
W
 8 Bradford Northern ChSF A 14 10 VIEW
13th May 1972 166
W
 8 Leeds CCF N 16 13 1 VIEW
20th May 1972 167
L
 8 Leeds ChF N 5 9 VIEW
20th Aug 1972 --NPS
W
 15 Rochdale Hornets L A 21 3 VIEW
22nd Aug 1972 --NPS
W
 15 Warrington L H 15 11 VIEW
28th Aug 1972 168
W
 8 Huyton L A 47 6 VIEW
3rd Sep 1972 169
W
 15 Warrington LC1 A 18 16 VIEW
13th Sep 1972 170
L
 10 Widnes LC2 A 2 13 VIEW
23rd Sep 1972 171
W
 10 Halifax JP1 A 22 20 VIEW
29th Sep 1972 172
W
 15 Swinton L H 33 12 VIEW
7th Oct 1972 --NPS
D
 15 Oldham L A 12 12 VIEW
10th Oct 1972 173
L
 15 Leeds FT1 H 6 14 VIEW
13th Oct 1972 174
W
 15 Bradford Northern L H 22 8 VIEW
24th Nov 1972 175
W
 10 Featherstone Rovers JP2 H 24 8 VIEW
9th Dec 1972 176
W
 15 Widnes JP3 H 10 3 VIEW
23rd Feb 1973 177
L
 8 Salford L A 10 15 VIEW
2nd Mar 1973 178
W
 15 Blackpool Borough L H 29 0 1 VIEW
7th Mar 1973 179
L
 10 Swinton L A 7 11 VIEW
20th Apr 1973 180
L
 15 Wigan L A 2 12 VIEW
2nd May 1973 181
W
 15 Wakefield Trinity Ch2 H 28 0 VIEW
6th May 1973 --NPS
L
 15 Leeds ChSF A 2 7 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 146 | LOSSES : 43 | DRAWS : 9

GALLERY





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