Threat of long ban for Graham

England forward James Graham could be facing a two-month ban if he is found guilty of biting the ear of an opponent.

The former St Helens captain was put on report for his part in a fracas during Sunday's NRL Grand Final in which his Canterbury Bulldogs side lost 14-4 to the Melbourne Storm in front of an 82,976 crowd in Sydney.

Melbourne full-back Billy Slater complained to referee Tony Archer that his ear had been bitten and close-up television replays appeared to provide damning evidence against Graham, who will be anxiously awaiting the outcome of Monday's match review committee meeting.

Graham, who is in his first season in the NRL, is due to link up with England for their training camp in South Africa next week but, if he is found guilty and suspended, he could miss the autumn internationals against France and Wales.

Canterbury forward Brad Morrin was suspended for eight weeks in 2007 for biting Timana Tahu.

The incident is set to go down as one of the most controversial in Grand Final history, evoking memories of boxer Mike Tyson's famous ear-biting attack on Evander Holyfield in 1997.

Slater offered a "no comment" when asked about it in the Storm dressing room after the match, while Graham was kept well off limits by Dogs officials.

Earlier, in the post-match press conference, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy said: "It's an incident that happened in the game and it will be sorted out tomorrow or the next day or the next day.

"It doesn't concern us. We've just won a premiership. What happened in the game, it's done now."

Storm skipper Cameron Smith adopted a similar line, saying: "Bill came to me and said he felt that he was bitten.

"But that's out of our hands, it's gone. We've won the match so it's no use looking back on that.

"The match review committee will look at that and deal with it."

Canterbury coach Des Hasler was unwilling to expand on the Graham furore.

He said: "He's on report so we'll have to wait and see and I won't make any more comment on it other than we'll deal with it when it comes up."

The allegation threatens to compound the misery of Graham, who has made a big impression in his first season in the NRL but has now lost six consecutive Grand Finals after being a member of the St Helens team beaten at Old Trafford in five successive seasons.

There could hardly have been a bigger contrast in fortunes for another England international, Gareth Widdop, who won his first Grand Final ring as Melbourne broke a 13-year title drought.

Widdop, who emigrated Down Under at the age of 16, became only the 11th Englishman to win an Australian Grand Final and the first since current Warrington captain Adrian Morley achieved the feat with the Sydney Roosters in 2002.

Stripped of their 2007 and 2009 premierships due to major breaches of the salary cap, the Storm finally added a second title to their 1999 premiership courtesy of tries from former Wigan second-rower Ryan Hoffman, Slater and wing Justin O'Neill.

Their victory would have been even more emphatic but for an off day with the boot by captain Smith, who succeeded with just one of his four attempts at goal.

Canterbury scored their only try through winger Sam Perrett on 26 minutes.