LAURIE Daley has revealed the Max King effort play that convinced him the Canterbury prop was a State of Origin player.
The Maitland-educated King was a shock call up for NSW on Sunday night, named as the Blues’ only debutant after Daley’s side suffered a number of last-minute injuries.
But the returning Blues coach said he’d already been won over by 28-year-old King, before being completely sold at Magic Round two weeks ago against Gold Coast.
“Max’s actions as a footballer go unnoticed by a lot of people but it doesn’t go unnoticed by the coaching staff,” Daley said.
“There was one particular moment in Magic Round, Max had made a run and got tackled four metres out under the sticks.
“The Dogs moved the ball to the left, they dropped it and then Phil Sami picks it up and runs 80 metres, gets tackled.
“The Titans move the ball to the left, the next person who made that tackle was Max King.
“He got back there because he knew how urgent it was for his teammates. That’s an action I look for… That’s the type of player I want.”
King will face a far more intimidating environment at Suncorp Stadium when he returns there next Wednesday night.
The front-rower’s debut is a long time in the making, after debuting in the NRL with Gold Coast in 2017.
He at times struggled to make the Titans’ first-grade side, before being released and shifting to Melbourne midway through 2019.
The grandson of Dragons premiership great Johnny King, then missed out on Melbourne’s 2020 premiership win after being banned for a hip-drop tackle.
But he has turned into one of the most reliable and consistent front-rowers in the NRL at Canterbury, as part of a smaller and more mobile pack.
King’s selection still came as something of a shock on Sunday night, picked ahead of the likes of South Sydney forward Keaon Koloamatangi and in-form Wests Tiger Terrell May.
By Scott BAILEY, AAP
