HE’S the $800,000 per season marquee man who forced James Graham out of Canterbury, but he’s not living up to his price tag.

That’s the belief of former NRL premiership-winner Michael Ennis, who says Aaron Woods is “a shadow” of what Graham has been at new club St George Illawarra in the opening rounds of the season.

Woods linked with the Bulldogs on a rich four-year deal, a move that caused Graham to sign with the Dragons on a contract worth a reported $1.8 million over three seasons.

Scroll down to see who else is under the pump this week in Pressure Gauge.

Round 20

Upon arriving at Belmore, Woods said he was excited to play the “rugged style” of football the Bulldogs are renown for.

But according to Ennis, who played for the Bulldogs from 2010 to 2014, the Australia and NSW Origin prop is yet to display those traits, and it was clear what the club had lost in Graham.

LIVE stream every 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership game on FOX SPORTS. Get your free 2-week trial now >. If you’re overseas, you can still stream it LIVE on Watch NRL >

“It’s evident. Look at the Dragons at the moment,” Ennis told Fox Sports.

“(Graham) has been the heart and soul. (Dragons coach) Paul McGregor has been treasuring what James Graham has brought to that club.

Aaron Woods of the Bulldogs is tackled by Roosters defenders. Source: Getty Images

“Aaron Woods, there is so much focus on Woods being a front-rower.

“We know what we get from David Klemmer. He’s aggressive, he welcomes the contact, he takes personal battles against opposition front-rowers.

“Aaron Woods stepping into Graham’s shoes, in the opening two rounds — and it’s only been two rounds, let’s not go too hard — he’s been a shadow of what James Graham has done at the Dragons.

“For me, Aaron Woods at the moment is just knocking out his numbers, but in terms of really leading this Canterbury-Bankstown forward pack, I haven’t seen that yet.”

Woods has averaged 58 minutes in his first two games, along with 13.5 runs, 115 metres and 27.5 tackles.

Asked whether the bearded prop needed to roll up his sleeves, Ennis replied: “Absolutely. The Roosters really targeted their centre-third the other day and it had great value.

“When your coach comes out over the summer and says ‘I want the Dogs of War back’ ... Dean Pay was one of the household names at Canterbury for his toughness, and he wants to resemble that in his football side.

“I haven’t seen that from Aaron Woods yet, I haven’t seen that in the opening two rounds.

“I want to see him get down and dirty, I want to see him get personal.

“We saw it with young (James) Fisher-Harris and (George) Burgess on the weekend — a young kid standing his ground and welcoming that impact and collision.

“I haven’t seen that from Aaron Woods yet.”

Welcome to Pressure Gauge ahead of round three.

BRAD ARTHUR

It will be interesting to see how the Parramatta players and coach Brad Arthur respond to their horrific 54-0 loss to the Sea Eagles.

Arthur accused his side of not “having a go” after the defeat and some players could be in the firing line as a result.

The heat will no doubt also be on the Eels mentor to get his side up for Saturday’s clash with Cronulla — not that they need any added motivation.

“Coming into the season, on the back of that finals game they played against Melbourne, I believed Parramatta were a genuine dark horse of winning this premiership,” Fox League expert Michael Ennis said.

“They’ve been anything but. (Sunday’s) performance was extremely disappointing.

“As a player, yes, you want to please the fans, but internally, there’s only two aspects of the club you want to impress: the players — you never want to let your teammates down — and secondly is the coach.

“For your coach to publicly come out ... to say your players didn’t have a go, his players would be in a dark place and having a really good look in the mirror.”

MITCHELL PEARCE

All eyes will be on Mitchell Pearce when he runs out at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

It will be the first time the Newcastle halfback faces the Sydney Roosters, the team he spent 11 NRL seasons representing until the club signed Cooper Cronk.

Cronk’s arrival led to Pearce’s trip up the M1 to the Knights, and he’s played a hugely influential role in the club’s two wins to start the season.

Barking instructions and making his presence felt, Pearce has looked comfortable and confident in his new surroundings.

There will no doubt be plenty of feeling between the teams when they meet, with ex-Roosters Aidan Guerra and Connor Watson also in the same boat.

“A lot of our best mates are there playing, they’re our core group of friends,” Pearce said after Sunday’s victory over Canberra.

“I’m more excited just to run out and have a laugh with the boys after we win.

“Any buildup’s a good build-up. I’m excited to be apart of it.”

JORDAN McLEAN

Mitchell Pearce isn’t the only big name player coming up against their former club in round three, with North Queensland prop Jordan McLean to face Melbourne for the first time.

McLean, who won last year’s title with the Storm, must now help his new team chase redemption following the Cowboys’ grand final defeat.

The Kangaroos prop admitted he copped a few sledges during the Johnathan Thurston-Cameron Smith testimonial game in the pre-season, so with two-points on the line this time, it could get fiery.

Live scores and stats, the latest news and the best video highlights — get the ultimate NRL experience on your phone with the new FOX LEAGUE App. Download it NOW for FREE on iOS and Android!