Born: September 29, 1955 - Auckland
Test record: 29 Tests (1977-83, 1985-86, 1988) - 7 tries (24 points)
Tours: 1977 World Cup, 1980 tour of Britain and France, 1985 tour of Britain and France
Mark Graham's status as New Zealand's Player of the Century - announced in 2007 - is perhaps the best illustration of his standing in the pantheon in Kiwis rugby league history. But it only partly explains the impact of the champion Ōtāhuhu Leopards, Norths Devils and North Sydney Bears back-rower, whose 29 Test appearances included a then-record 18 as captain.
Graham represented Auckland against France, Wales and Australia as a 19-year-old in 1975, while he was part of the province's 'Grand Slam' trio of victories against Australia, France and Great Britain two years later.
Called up by the Kiwis for the first time for the 1977 World Cup, Graham debuted off the bench against Great Britain and scored a try at lock in their win over France. On tour in 1978, he played in two Tests against Australia at the back of the scrum and was in the second-row for the historic one-off clash with Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.
Graham followed Ōtāhuhu coach Graham Lowe to Norths in the Brisbane premiership in 1979. He missed the first two Tests of that year's series against Great Britain with injury but was man of the match and a tryscorer as New Zealand salvaged an 18-11 victory in the third encounter.
After playing in both 1980 Tests against Australia at home, Graham starred as Norths upset Souths in the BRL grand final. He was elevated to the Kiwis captaincy for the tour of Britain and France at the end of the year, leading his country in all five Tests as both series finished drawn.
Graham scored tries in both Tests as New Zealand swept France 2-0 at home in 1981 and skippered the Kiwis in a 2-0 series loss to Australia in 1982. He had moved south with North Sydney in 1981 and won back-to-back Dally M Second-rower of the Year awards, taking over the Bears' captaincy in 1982 and guiding the club to its first finals series in 17 years.
Reunited with incoming Kiwis coach Lowe in 1983, Graham missed that year's famous upset of Australia at Lang Park with injury while a dislocated shoulder kept him out of the 1984 cleansweep of Great Britian.
But 'Sharko' was back and at his inspirational best during the Kiwis' unforgettable 1985 campaign. He was magnificent in the second-row throughout the 2-1 series loss to Australia and brilliantly laid on two tries in the 18-0 rout of the green-and-golds at Carlaw Park in the third Test.
On the tour of Britain and France at the end of the year, Graham scored tries in the 24-22 series opening win and the tense 6-all draw in the decider against Great Britain. He displayed trademark toughness in the first Test to soldier on with a fractured cheekbone, but an ankle injury forced him off the field and out of the second Test. The third Test would be his only remaining appearance on tour.
Graham skippered New Zealand throughout its disappointing 3-0 series loss in Australia in 1986. He was unavailable for the tumultuous Papua New Guinea leg of the tour, while he quit international football in protest of Lowe's controversial sacking as Kiwis coach.
The 32-year-old rescinded his Kiwis retirement in 1988, however, and scored a try in their win over Papua New Guinea at Carlaw Park and played in the crucial victory over Great Britain in Christchurch. The 25-12 loss to Australia in the World Cup final at Eden Park would be Graham's last appearance for New Zealand.
Graham's 146-game tenure with the Bears also concluded in 1988, while captained Rest of the World against both Australia and Great Britain that year, and spent the following off-season with Wakefield Trinity before hanging up the boots.
Part of Lowe's coaching staff at Manly and North Queensland during the 1990s, Graham was head coach of the Auckland Warriors for the rocky 1999-2000 NRL seasons.
Graham was one of the inaugural NZRL Legends of League inductees in 1995 and was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame the following year. He was named in the second-row of the North Sydney (2006) and New Zealand (2007) Teams of the Century, while in 2018 he became the first New Zealander to be named in the NRL Hall of Fame.