England have turned to a number of heritage players for this Rugby League World Cup, but for Max King, it is a dream that he has been manifesting for a long time. King was born in Huddersfield and moved over to Australia at seven years of age, meaning his early memories of rugby league were his grandfather's affiliation with Leeds Rhinos and Huddersfield's love for the sport. The Canterbury Bulldogs prop has had World Cup ambitions for a long time and had a sticky note on his wall to try and make the England side for the World Cup four years ago in 2022.
While that dream did not occur at that particular moment, a phone call from new England head coach Brian McDermott reignited the ambition for King that sees him in the squad for this year's World Cup at which he will represent his own and his mother's English heritage. From that phone call, the dream that once was physically represented as a sticky note on his bedroom wall was now alive and about to become a reality, if selected for England in their opening match against Tonga on Saturday October 17. "I was born and raised in Huddersfield.
I can still remember being a seven-year-old but I have been back and forth a number of times with my mum's side of the family," King said. "So I've been a couple of times you know as a teenager, as a sort of young adult. "I grew up around league, I know obviously it's football mad you know, but I grew up as a league family and yeah I remember going to the Leeds Rhinos games.
My grandfather was a Leeds Rhinos tragic. "It is a special moment for my family being able to represent myself and my heritage. "My dad was just as ecstatic as everyone else and my mum was quite emotional.
My parents have always been supportive and they'd be supportive for me if I was playing for a local third grade side. "I was sharing a story with a couple of boys last night. I like to write goals on the wall and sort of sticky note them and my wife reminds me when we first started dating.
She came over to my house and I had this big sticky note that was across from my bed. "I would see it every day and the was a goal to make the World Cup for the England side in 2022. "Unfortunately, it wasn't to be and I kind of thought from there that it just wasn't going to happen you know and I think sometimes you know being on the Australian side it can sometimes be harder just because your loyalty and dedication towards England probably gets questioned.
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