Although they have not shared the field together for more than six years, James Graham and Josh Reynolds didn't miss a beat when they reunited recently.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The former Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs stars both made the trip to Tamworth yesterday, ahead of the annual Group 4 Sportsman's Lunch held today at the Wests Leagues Club.
And, while speaking to the media, Graham couldn't wipe the smile off his face.
"It's always good fun," Graham said.
"It's like we never left each other. We hopped on the plane and carried on where we left off, really."
It didn't take either of them long to feel at home among the Tamworth community, either.
"We went to the Longyard [Hotel] last night and met a couple of the locals. They were very friendly, it's good to be here," Reynolds said.
The two former NRL standouts were joined at the event by popular cricket commentator and personality, Kerry O'Keefe, where they regaled a sizeable crowd with stories from their playing careers and collective lifetimes playing sport.
Reynolds said he had previously been to Tamworth during his playing days, while this marked Graham's first trip to the city.
Both agreed that it was critically important for the NRL to maintain a presence in regional areas and support the talent that emerges from country Australia.
"You probably don't understand what it means to the country when you do come out while you're playing," Reynolds said.
"You're in the rollercoaster ... but now to sit back and see the effect it has, it's pretty cool."
"We were speaking yesterday about how important it is that rugby league has a presence in areas like this," Graham said.
"It can get lost, and the focus can be on the NRL, the big-city games, the Brisbanes, the Sydneys, the Melbournes, the Aucklands and the like ... but [regional areas] are vital for our game's longevity."
Present at the lunch were many of the bigwigs of local sport, and not least among them was outgoing Group 4 chairman, Terry Psarakis.
The long-time servant of Tamworth sport said they were "very happy" to have guests the calibre of Graham, Reynolds, and O'Keefe attend, and it was a fitting finale to his tenure with Group 4.
"It's a good way to finish off," Psarakis said.
"Hopefully I'm still around if they need some help. I'm more than happy to put my hand up."
