November 4, 2024 • 7 mins
SHARKO is a feature documentary about enigmatic New Zealand Rugby League legend Mark “SHARKO” Graham, and his filmmaker son, Luke. In his prime, Mark was the best rugby league player in the world. Known for his size, speed, skill and toughness, he was a predator in a sea of sharks. Mark changed the sport and carried his teams and country to the doorstep of greatness, while remaining a mystery to his biggest fan, his son.
Luke tells the story through the in-depth lens and skewed perspective revealing a shared personal history scarred by pain and loss. As he learns more about his father’s past, both the hardships and the glory, he comes to a realisation about the man he idolised above all else.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
From the rugby field to the rotary shed.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
It's the Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on Gold Sport.
Do you know why I'm making this film about you?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I don't know. Have too many people even know of
me anymore. It's been a lot of years since I've
been playing footy, but good luck with it.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
The film is called Sharko and it opens in theaters
across the country next Thursday. It's the story of Mark
Sharko Graham and the stories made up by his filmmaker
son Luke. They both joined me on the show This
Morning Team, Good Morning, Welcome home to New Zealand. Mark,
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Very thank thank you, Brian, thank you very much for
having us.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
So Luke, first off, tell us the story. I mean,
you know, Mark probably didn't want a movie made about him,
did he?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Certainly not? Certainly not. And I think if it was
someone else that would have been an absolute no. But no,
it was we were I finished a previous film in
twenty seventeen and we were having a chat and we
were actual. Dad was coming over to New Zealand for
the nineteen seventy seven reunion for the Auckland team, which
(01:10):
took on and beat the three best countries in the
world at rugby league at the time, and they're all
amateurs and it was some amazing kiwis in the team.
And throughout that experience, I kind of I got a
deeper connection for what I really wanted, the story I
wanted to tell, and you know that story of really
what I really wanted to tell was my father's story
to the world. I love rugby league. I think it's
(01:31):
the greatest sport in the world. I love my father,
and I wanted to celebrate both.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Of those and his story is really it's very very unique,
isn't it really?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Well, it certainly is to For myself, I thought it
was a unique story because you know, making films is
hard and you've got to make sure that you've got
an interesting story for an audience. But my dad is
someone which is blue collar through and through and very
proud of it, and that's what rugby league is. And
I was, you know, he's had an amazing journey was
(02:05):
some of the amazing people in the rugby league world,
including the likes of Graham Lowe, who's instrumental in his
story and in the documentary, and he's had some great
games against some of the greatest austrain Roga league players ever,
including Wally Lewis, who's instrumental in the story and and
in the documentary. So very lucky and I think we've
(02:26):
got something special and I think the country will enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I think bringing up Wally Lewis Mark, I mean when
you involved with a big hit on him that somebody's
esophagres got crushed, so.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
They tell me. Actually I played against Wally a couple
of times, more than a couple of times obviously, but
the first time I went to play in Brisbane, or
the first year, any year I played in Brisbane way
and I played against in another I think at least twice,
and twice while he went to the hospital. So she
didn't have my.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Slack tell us about your career of Mark was an
always going to be rugby league for you.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
No, Brian, it wasn't in those days mate, when I
was I went to Brisbane. After I started playing, I
always played Voda who and I was a senior in
nineteen seventy five, at nineteen I started playing for the
premier side and you know I was married. Luke was
just born in seventy nine and it was. It's about
(03:24):
that stage that people of my elk retired because you
had a job, you had a you know, you had
a house, she had a mortgage, you had a wife
and the kid, and it was just as you know,
no one know his career went past twenty five twenty
six and anyway, went off to playing in Brisbane, thinking
that'll be a one off the experience, and it just
sort of went from there.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
And of course you know what it's like to win premieres,
to win championships and so on, don't you. You've tasted all.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
That well in the and who I had And then
at Brisbane, Yeah, we won the comp up there, but
that was sort of the end of my winning pretty much.
I went to North Sydney and while I was a
great club and the club I love and admire and
was very pleased to play for, we didn't win too
much down there.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Has the game of rugby league changed today from what
it was in your day? Absolutely, I'd say, yeah, what why?
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Uh, it's most probably a bit of spectacle nowadays, I
reckon it's there's not so much brutality involved. A lot
of I think the movie that Luke and he picked
up parts of the movie or when I was getting
knocked out, so.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
There was a lot of those to choose from them.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
So but yeah, that's how the game was played. And
I mean earlier in the year at the NRL Hall
of Family and they gave Boyd, Liz Boyd a induction
induction of the Hall of Fame in the NRL. And
he was a very brutal player, and I played against
Liz on a number of occasions. But that's how the
game was played those days. And and I'm pleased it's
(04:58):
been cleaned up and I think it's a better game
for it.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
And you've survived pretty well, really, haven't you?
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Well, yeare most of the time.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
So what was your reaction like when Luke came to
you and said, Hey, Dad, I want to do a
movie about Sharko.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, as you just stated before, I would definitely said no.
If it wasn't Luke, I would have said no. But
and I was actually trying to talk him into the
nineteen seventy seven Auckland Side. I said that there's there's
a story, you know, there's a there's a Walt Disney
type story. Everything comes acod me and so but there's
no I think there's no archives.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Well that yeah, that was actually the story that we
were looking at first, but sadly the archive wasn't kept
as well back in that day, and there was no
video content and very hard to do a documentary with
no video for the story. So so and you know,
and through obviously throughout that the story that really kind
(05:56):
of I thought would connect with the country, you know,
and it's certainly a straight end. New Zealand is my
father's story, which is kind of you know, is you know,
from the blue collar all the way up to the
top and those amazing games and that just rugby league
in the eighties with Australivers New Zealand. That was kind
of the start of what rugby league was and what
(06:19):
it is now. It really got it into the broadcast,
into the into the audience and it was there were
some amazing games with some amazing people.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And Mark, you've probably seen the movie now, what do
you think of it?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Yeah, it looks Loo's had a wonderful job. It's very honest,
I think raw it's a lot of reality in there.
And you know, I'm very very pleased from I'm pretty
as I said to Link after I watched it. The
first time. I said, mate, I'm not a movie critic
of I don't watch a lot of movies, so what
do you think of a link? And he was really
pleased with and I said, well, if you're pleased with,
(06:52):
don't please with us. So it was He's done a
wonderful job.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And today I believe Mark, you're involved as an Australian
Workers Union delegate. Is that right?
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Well, I used to be. I've retired now, but I
was a senior delegate at the side I worked at,
and I'm a rugby league person. That's you know, it's
all about in collaboration and working together. So Union sort
of really fitted my voice of standing and things.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Fantastic. Well, Luke again, congratulations to you on the movie.
Sharko comes out next week and Mark, thank you for
joining us today. Thank you so much, my pleasure, Thank you,
Thank you, Brian Mark Mark Graham along with his son Luke,
and it opens in theaters this Thursday, actually this Thursday,
right across the country. It really as I've seen the
(07:36):
shorts of the clips of it, the trailer, and it's
a great movie. Sharko
From the rugby field to the rotary shed.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
It's the Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on Gold Sport.
Do you know why I'm making this film about you?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I don't know. Have too many people even know of
me anymore. It's been a lot of years since I've
been playing footy, but good luck with it.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
The film is called Sharko and it opens in theaters
across the country next Thursday. It's the story of Mark
Sharko Graham and the stories made up by his filmmaker
son Luke. They both joined me on the show This
Morning Team, Good Morning, Welcome home to New Zealand. Mark,
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Very thank thank you, Brian, thank you very much for
having us.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
So Luke, first off, tell us the story. I mean,
you know, Mark probably didn't want a movie made about him,
did he?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Certainly not? Certainly not. And I think if it was
someone else that would have been an absolute no. But no,
it was we were I finished a previous film in
twenty seventeen and we were having a chat and we
were actual. Dad was coming over to New Zealand for
the nineteen seventy seven reunion for the Auckland team, which
(01:10):
took on and beat the three best countries in the
world at rugby league at the time, and they're all
amateurs and it was some amazing kiwis in the team.
And throughout that experience, I kind of I got a
deeper connection for what I really wanted, the story I
wanted to tell, and you know that story of really
what I really wanted to tell was my father's story
to the world. I love rugby league. I think it's
(01:31):
the greatest sport in the world. I love my father,
and I wanted to celebrate both.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Of those and his story is really it's very very unique,
isn't it really?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Well, it certainly is to For myself, I thought it
was a unique story because you know, making films is
hard and you've got to make sure that you've got
an interesting story for an audience. But my dad is
someone which is blue collar through and through and very
proud of it, and that's what rugby league is. And
I was, you know, he's had an amazing journey was
(02:05):
some of the amazing people in the rugby league world,
including the likes of Graham Lowe, who's instrumental in his
story and in the documentary, and he's had some great
games against some of the greatest austrain Roga league players ever,
including Wally Lewis, who's instrumental in the story and and
in the documentary. So very lucky and I think we've
(02:26):
got something special and I think the country will enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I think bringing up Wally Lewis Mark, I mean when
you involved with a big hit on him that somebody's
esophagres got crushed, so.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
They tell me. Actually I played against Wally a couple
of times, more than a couple of times obviously, but
the first time I went to play in Brisbane, or
the first year, any year I played in Brisbane way
and I played against in another I think at least twice,
and twice while he went to the hospital. So she
didn't have my.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Slack tell us about your career of Mark was an
always going to be rugby league for you.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
No, Brian, it wasn't in those days mate, when I
was I went to Brisbane. After I started playing, I
always played Voda who and I was a senior in
nineteen seventy five, at nineteen I started playing for the
premier side and you know I was married. Luke was
just born in seventy nine and it was. It's about
(03:24):
that stage that people of my elk retired because you
had a job, you had a you know, you had
a house, she had a mortgage, you had a wife
and the kid, and it was just as you know,
no one know his career went past twenty five twenty
six and anyway, went off to playing in Brisbane, thinking
that'll be a one off the experience, and it just
sort of went from there.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
And of course you know what it's like to win premieres,
to win championships and so on, don't you. You've tasted all.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
That well in the and who I had And then
at Brisbane, Yeah, we won the comp up there, but
that was sort of the end of my winning pretty much.
I went to North Sydney and while I was a
great club and the club I love and admire and
was very pleased to play for, we didn't win too
much down there.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Has the game of rugby league changed today from what
it was in your day? Absolutely, I'd say, yeah, what why?
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Uh, it's most probably a bit of spectacle nowadays, I
reckon it's there's not so much brutality involved. A lot
of I think the movie that Luke and he picked
up parts of the movie or when I was getting
knocked out, so.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
There was a lot of those to choose from them.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
So but yeah, that's how the game was played. And
I mean earlier in the year at the NRL Hall
of Family and they gave Boyd, Liz Boyd a induction
induction of the Hall of Fame in the NRL. And
he was a very brutal player, and I played against
Liz on a number of occasions. But that's how the
game was played those days. And and I'm pleased it's
(04:58):
been cleaned up and I think it's a better game
for it.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
And you've survived pretty well, really, haven't you?
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Well, yeare most of the time.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
So what was your reaction like when Luke came to
you and said, Hey, Dad, I want to do a
movie about Sharko.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, as you just stated before, I would definitely said no.
If it wasn't Luke, I would have said no. But
and I was actually trying to talk him into the
nineteen seventy seven Auckland Side. I said that there's there's
a story, you know, there's a there's a Walt Disney
type story. Everything comes acod me and so but there's
no I think there's no archives.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Well that yeah, that was actually the story that we
were looking at first, but sadly the archive wasn't kept
as well back in that day, and there was no
video content and very hard to do a documentary with
no video for the story. So so and you know,
and through obviously throughout that the story that really kind
(05:56):
of I thought would connect with the country, you know,
and it's certainly a straight end. New Zealand is my
father's story, which is kind of you know, is you know,
from the blue collar all the way up to the
top and those amazing games and that just rugby league
in the eighties with Australivers New Zealand. That was kind
of the start of what rugby league was and what
(06:19):
it is now. It really got it into the broadcast,
into the into the audience and it was there were
some amazing games with some amazing people.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And Mark, you've probably seen the movie now, what do
you think of it?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Yeah, it looks Loo's had a wonderful job. It's very honest,
I think raw it's a lot of reality in there.
And you know, I'm very very pleased from I'm pretty
as I said to Link after I watched it. The
first time. I said, mate, I'm not a movie critic
of I don't watch a lot of movies, so what
do you think of a link? And he was really
pleased with and I said, well, if you're pleased with,
(06:52):
don't please with us. So it was He's done a
wonderful job.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And today I believe Mark, you're involved as an Australian
Workers Union delegate. Is that right?
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Well, I used to be. I've retired now, but I
was a senior delegate at the side I worked at,
and I'm a rugby league person. That's you know, it's
all about in collaboration and working together. So Union sort
of really fitted my voice of standing and things.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Fantastic. Well, Luke again, congratulations to you on the movie.
Sharko comes out next week and Mark, thank you for
joining us today. Thank you so much, my pleasure, Thank you,
Thank you, Brian Mark Mark Graham along with his son Luke,
and it opens in theaters this Thursday, actually this Thursday,
right across the country. It really as I've seen the
(07:36):
shorts of the clips of it, the trailer, and it's
a great movie. Sharko
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.