The NRL has been blessed with some pretty special Englishmen in recent years, but new Canterbury prop James Graham may just be the best of the lot.

The burly former St Helens star put on a head-turning performance on his Bulldogs debut in Saturday night’s 22-14 win over Penrith at Centrebet Stadium, the 26-year-old taking little time to adjust to the game down under.

Starting in unfamiliar surrounds on the interchange bench, Graham was injected after just 14 minutes and proceeded to play out the rest of the encounter, coming up with 51 tackles, 16 hit-ups, 115 metres and the crucial pass that lead to Ben Barba’s match-levelling second half try.

South Sydney’s Sam Burgess and Wests Tigers backrower Gareth Ellis have both matched the hype on their arrival in Australia, but early indications are that Graham could top them both.

Graham played down his impact on the game, but there’s little doubt new coach Des Hasler will be impressed with what he saw.

“It was just good to get the win, we were under the pump – it was good to get away with it after going behind early doors,” Graham told AAP.

Asked how the pace compared to Super League – where he made a name for himself as one of the most durable forwards in the competition, Graham said:

“Every game of rugby league, it doesn’t matter what level it is, it’s going to be tough.

“It’s an intense game and tonight was no exception.”

One person not surprised by his deeds was Ellis, who only caught the end of the game on television.

“It’s typical of what he’s been doing in the Super League for such a long time,” Ellis said.

“He’s known for his ability to play a little bit, but it’s his graft and hard work that’s got him to the top of the game.

“He’ll add a hell of a lot to the Bulldogs.”

While happy to get away with the two points against the Panthers, Hasler said his side had plenty of work to do after a shocking first half display almost cost them the match.

“We were talking at half-time saying ‘we’re lucky to be in this position’, Penrith had enough possession to score a lot points,” Hasler said.

“It was far too many errors for our liking so we’ll need to address that, but a positive for us was that I thought they showed great resolve for a young side and they’ll be better for the experience and wiser for this game.

“I don’t think too many sides will get away from here with two points.”