Keeping the Faith: Perseverance Pays For New Blue Max
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Max King is one of the few Origin players to bring their own Bible into camp, but the deeply religious Blues rookie admits career-threatening injuries and illness tested his faith.
The selection of King is a reward for perseverance and never giving up – qualities NSW coach Laurie Daley wanted in his side and recognised in the fourth-generation premiership player whose grandfather Johnny is a Hall of Famer.
The 28-year-old endured more than 18 months on the sidelines after rupturing an Achilles while playing for the Storm in 2020 and post-surgery complications left him contemplating medical retirement until the Bulldogs offered a lifeline.
He had already overcome the odds to play in the NRL after a series of operations for the heart condition, supraventricular tachycardia, which was initially detected while he was coming through the junior ranks at the Knights in 2016.
“I always felt like God had a calling for me to play NRL, not because I’m a good footballer but because it was his plan and his purpose for me,” King said.
“It is the same with Origin. I have always dreamt and felt called to this arena, not because I think I’m a good footballer, but because I always just felt like it was part of God’s plan for me to be here."
Yet King admits he began to question that belief after suffering a further setback while battling to recover from his injury when he developed Haglund’s Syndrome - a bone growth under the tendon that prevented him from running.
His father David told Wide World of Sports: "It was very painful and just wouldn't go away. The surgeon told him there was a one in four chance that he would never play again. He was all set to medically retire”.
King said he been in a “dark place” as he grappled with the possibility of his career ending before it had really begun.
“I felt like God had called me to the NRL and then I had to wrestle with… I have played 50 games of NRL at a mediocre level of 20 minutes off the bench, and now I have had a permanent injury that I can’t recover from,” he said.
“I was just struggling to manage that God would do all of that but leave me here still. I felt it was just a big testing time for my faith.
“I was out for two years, I was off contract, I had no club, I didn’t know what I was doing. It was definitely a tough time, but I am grateful for where I am now.
The forward's wife, Christy, posted an emotional video on social media after driving him to the NSW team hotel, in which she said: "No one would have predicted he was going to play and be chosen, but God".
King revealed he had packed his Bible along with playing boots and clothes for the Blues camp.
"My No.1 thing is my bible. I read it every morning, so that is the No.1 thing I pack," he said.
"This is my opportunity, and I want to give glory back to God, because I see myself as a pub footballer that is just battling away and doing his best."
Since making his comeback with the Bulldogs under Trent Barrett in Round 1 of the 2022 season, King has played 76 NRL matches for Canterbury and established himself as a regular starting front rower.
It is an area of his game that King had discussed with Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo during the pre-season.
“I did some reflecting in the off-season. We had a great year last year as a club and it was such a great year to be a part of, but I just wanted more as well,” he said.
The first day of pre-season I sat down with Ciraldo and I handed him a piece of paper, and I said ‘I want you to write what you think is a perfect frontrower’. I wanted to evolve.
“He wrote a couple of things down and he actually said, ‘I want you to write down what you think and we will discuss it’. We were on the same wavelength.
“I am under no illusion that there are a lot of people that have helped me get here. I think a big reason I am here is the team’s success, but I also think it’s just focusing on being better rather than being happy with where I am in life.”
With his father David, who played for Gold Coast Seagulls in 1991-92, spending 11 seasons in England, and King being born in Huddersfield, he had put his hand up to play against the Kangaroos in the end-of-season Ashes series.
It was a decision made with the backing of his English mother Caroline and paternal grandfather, Johnny King, who won seven premierships with St George from 1960-to-1966 and is considered one of the game's greatest wingers.
However, he had never expected to be called up for the Blues and is now reconsidering a call on his international allegiance.
“I think the consideration for England was the best-case scenario of it not happening," he said.
"It has always been a dream of mine to play Origin but I’m 28 and I’ve never been anywhere close in my career.
“You look at the media, and who picks Max King in their team? I don’t think I saw one team with Max King in it.”
Match: Maroons v Blues
Game 1 -
home Team
Maroons
away Team
Blues
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
