Mark Graham is a New Zealand rugby league legend.  

In his prime he was the best league player in the world, known for his size, speed, skill, and toughness, he was “a predator in a sea of sharks”. 

He’s been named New Zealand Rugby League Player of the Century, and is the only player to have made it into both the New Zealand and Australian League halls of fame. 

Luke Graham, his son, is a filmmaker, and his latest documentary is about his father. 

SHARKO tells the story of the man who changed rugby league, carrying his teams and country to the doorstep of greatness. 

Luke’s decision to tell his father’s story was motivated by several reasons, he revealed to Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame. 

“He’s someone that, you know, I’ve always proudly looked up to and I’ve been so proud of his success, his career.” 

The creation of this documentary was a way to show that pride, as well as his love for that era of rugby league. 

“It was selfishly, selfish reason to get to know my family even more, and to show this family to the world,” he told Tame. 

The subject of the documentary himself, Mark, was not sure that anyone would want to watch the documentary when his son pitched it to him. 

“My football career is dead and buried, and while I used to love the game, I just didn’t know if anyone would be that interested, to tell you the truth.” 

Mark said that initially the story that was pitched was the ‘77 Auckland side where they showed up on a Wednesday night after working all day and played international sides for 33 weeks straight, beating all of them, before going back to work the next morning. 

“So I thought that was the story, but he thought it was, this one was better.” 

“It was lovely for people who perhaps don’t appreciate how much has changed.” 

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