Kiwi league legend Mark Graham, whose story is told in the movie Sharko, made by his son Luke. Photo / Supplied
Old-style, working-class sports heroes do not come more clearly defined than Mark Graham, generally regarded as the greatest of all New Zealand rugby league players.
When the legendary Kiwi forward, now 68, retired a couple of years ago, it meant stepping down from one of the massive coal bulldozers operating at the Port of Gladstone, 500 kilometres from Brisbane.
“My father is proudly a working man, wants to get his hands dirty to earn his money, and he did so right up until he retired,” says his film-maker son Luke Graham.
“He never wanted a cruisy media job or anything like that. I’d always wondered why.
“It was because of his father Thomas, who was a key component in the Ōtāhuhu community and the meatworks there. His father always took the most challenging road – my father did the same in spades.”
It’s a trait that may have survived into another generation because, in 2017, Luke Graham decided to start a “daunting” project: a documentary on his father.
Sharko will get its first public airings at the Doc Edge Festival, in the main New Zealand centres and virtually, in June and July. It is due for a theatrical release later this year.
Luke Graham isn’t giving much away in terms of discoveries, although he offers the tempting line that Sharko shows the “destruction behind the success”.
“I want to leave a bit of a hook so I’m not going to give specific answers,” he says. “But it talks about what it takes to be the best at what you do.
“It is about the cost to you and others around you … a path of pain. It is something Dad has dealt with, and others around him have dealt with.
“We have also dealt with some tragedies that have scarred our family.”
Luke was just a few months old when his dad and mum Carmen left Auckland for Australia, where Mark played for Brisbane Norths and then North Sydney Bears. His parents separated within 10 years of that move.
Luke has wonderful memories as the kid of a footy hero dad, including this little gem included in the film.
“I was a ballboy for the North Sydney Bears – actually, I was babysat by the older kids.
“One time, I had taken a toy to the North Sydney Oval and got one of the players in trouble – the cameras caught him playing with the toy on the sideline instead of focusing on the match. Dad wasn’t very happy with me then.”
He recalls sitting in the dressing shed, the smell of Dencorub and sweat, and observing “players all broken after games”.
The film concentrates to a degree on the 1985 series between the Kiwis and an Australian side laden with greats led by Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga.
There was an explosive start to the series – the unforgettable sideline fight between props Kevin Tamati and Greg Dowling at Lang Park in Brisbane.
Luke Graham says: “We show you this amazing footage – it’s amazing what you notice when you go through old film.
“You think these guys hate each other’s guts but, after the second test at Carlaw Park [in Auckland], the first person waiting for Kevin on the sideline was Greg, who says to him, ‘You played amazing, give me a hug, sorry.’
“Yet people just remember them smashing each other in the head thinking they hated each other. No, these were just warriors giving their all for their country.
“And they are amazing storytellers from that era – there is a joke and a story behind everything.”
The great and the good interviewed for the film include Lewis, Steve “Blocker” Roach, Hugh McGahan and Owen Wright along with Graham Lowe, the father-figure coach to Mark Graham.
Luke Graham describes it as a docudrama, with scenes from his dad’s younger days in Ōtāhuhu being recreated.
Even finding some rugby league film was a challenge in a sport that doesn’t always look after its archives well.
Funding was also an interesting journey. The New Zealand Film Commission wasn’t interested. But Screen Australia and Screen Queensland gave fantastic support and Luke put in “a big chunk” of his own money.
The result is a film “touching on parenthood, fatherhood through generations, a sprinkle of a few things – if rugby league isn’t your cup of tea, you can connect with the family story”.
Which brings us to the subject of the film: the great rugby league warrior himself.
Mark Graham was a delight to talk to for this article, but more on the game and the Warriors of today than on his part in the film.
Speaking from Gladstone, he says: “I wasn’t really a fan, I’ve got to say, but anything to help my son. He’s got a budding career and, as a father, of course you are going to support him.
“My life has been like a fairytale – I was one of the very fortunate people to have a wonderful family with very good parents. We had enough, we were loved, cherished and encouraged. I had wonderful teammates, coaches and managers … people like Graham Lowe.
“I’ve moved on from footy, it’s all been said and done. But if Luke was willing to do it, I’ve got no problems at all.
“He’s the man with the vision, who wants to tell a story, and he’s very good at what he does.”
Of his formative days in Ōtāhuhu, he recalls his early league coaches being friends’ mothers, who left a strong impression.
The Roman Catholic faith is a huge part of his life and he was schooled at St Paul’s College in central Auckland.
“People go, ‘Oh yeah, that’s a real rugby league school.’ I tell them it wasn’t when I went there.
“Rugby league was on the bottom rung for a long time. We organised ourselves to play in a secondary schools league competition during a holiday period, trained ourselves and wore our first XV jerseys.
“The school was really upset with us until we told them we won it. There were no rugby league schools then. It was all first XV.”
The former Warriors coach is delighted to see the club on a high, saying: “I’ve got a New Zealand passport. I’m proud to be a Kiwi – I just live in Australia.
“The Wahs have been showing spirit and I think we can all support a team that gives their best every time.
“They’ve made their game plan simpler; they all know what they are doing. They are like our warriors, our soldiers. You expect your soldiers to give their best while doing battle for your village or country, and these guys are certainly doing that.
“They’ve got three outstanding forwards in Mitch Barnett, Tohu Harris and Addin Fonua-Blake – they’ve got a pretty good forward pack there. You aren’t going to win every game but I’m pleased the fans are being so fanatical.”
Graham says the club has “finally taken control of the talent coming out of New Zealand”.
“I’d go to schoolboy comps in Ngāruawāhia and find the officials running it were employed by the New Zealand Rugby League but working as scouts for Penrith.
“When I was there as coach – very unsuccessfully, I might add – the talent and athleticism of the people who walked in off the street was outstanding.
“We had a couple of open training sessions and I remember being stunned by the physical talent – some were better than seasoned professionals playing for Australia. It’s up to the men in charge to harness all that.”
He is also a fervent supporter of basing an NRL team in Christchurch, with strong Pasifika ties.
On the film, it’s fair to say Graham was happy to let his son do almost all the talking.
Life imitating art, perhaps – families are complicated and our recalls have this strange inability to match well.
Luke says that, after nervously showing the film to his father – particularly concerned that some of the accentuated dramatic points might not be well received – there were a few tears and a hug.
Mark says he has seen excerpts and a trailer.
“If he’s pleased with it, I’ll be pleased with it,” he says, in a more matter-of-fact way.
Sharko plays at the Doc Edge Festival in Christchurch (June 19-30), Auckland (July 3-14), Wellington (July 3-14) and nationwide via the virtual cinema (July 15-31). More info at docedge.nz
Andrew Webster is confident the Warriors will bounce back next week against the Broncos.