NRL 2023: Dolphins sign Max Plath, son of Broncos legend John
Wayne Bennett has struck another blow in the Battle of Brisbane - sneaking in to steal a Queensland Cup stud, who happens to be the son of a Broncos great.
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Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins have continued their raid on Brisbane by poaching the son of Broncos legend John Plath.
Having already stolen Broncos big guns Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler, the Dolphins have now delved into Brisbane’s development tier to lure Max Plath to Redcliffe.
Plath, the son of Broncos’ four-time premiership winner John Plath, joined the Dolphins’ training group on Wednesday ahead of tomorrow night’s NRL clash with the Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium.
A clever utility who can play in the halves, at hooker or at lock, Plath has inked a three-year deal and won immediate promotion to the Dolphins’ top 30 squad.
Bennett said Plath has a golden opportunity to live out his NRL dreams at Brisbane’s cross-town rivals the Dolphins.
“Max brings a lot of energy and can play three or four positions. I’m looking forward to working with him,” Bennett said.
Asked about poaching another player from the Broncos club that famously sacked him in 2018, Bennett said: “I’m not counting where we get them from, he was available and he gets an opportunity here.”
The 21-year-old was given a chance at the Broncos over summer after training with Brisbane’s top squad for 12 weeks in pre-season in his quest to emulate his famous father John by playing NRL.
But the Dolphins have pounced, impressed with Plath’s sensational display for Broncos feeder club Wynnum Manly Seagulls in their round 4 Queensland Cup clash against Redcliffe.
The hard-working Plath scored two tries and produced three line breaks to convince the Dolphins he is a player of the future.
Plath will supply depth in key positions for the Dolphins, who have had to deal with serious injuries to halves Sean O’Sullivan and Anthony Milford and back-up hooker Harrison Graham.
Dolphins’ chief executive Terry Reader said Plath would be a handy addition to the new franchise, who will welcome Broncos duo Farnworth and Flegler from next season.
“We see Max as an NRL player of the not-too-distant future,” Reader said.
“He has great utility value in being able to play in both the halves and in the forwards.
“Max shows a real toughness in his play and was one of the best on the field in the recent Hostplus Cup game between the Dolphins and Wynnum.
“He was born in Brisbane and has come through the QRL system, so he fits the mould we are looking for and we are excited to see where his career can go.”
Plath has scored nine tries in 17 Hostplus Cup matches for Wynnum since making his debut last year.
TITANS RECRUIT VOWS TO BURY SUPER LEAGUE CURSE
By Travis Meyn
Gold Coast Super League import Kruise Leeming insists he won’t be an NRL flop after overcoming family tragedy and emerging from a third world country to realise his Australian rugby league dream.
Leeming made his NRL debut off the bench in the Titans’ win over the Dragons on Sunday afternoon at Cbus Super Stadium.
The crafty hooker is set to be rushed on to the Titans’ bench by coach Justin Holbrook just a week after touching down in Australia from England.
Leeming, 27, was handed an NRL opportunity by the Titans for the remainder of the 2023 season to provide dummy-half depth following a collarbone injury to starting hooker Sam Verrills.
And the African-born rake is determined to make the most of it in the cutthroat NRL.
“I’ve wanted to come to the NRL since I was a kid. That’s always been my end goal,” Leeming told The Sunday Mail.
“When I’ve talked about my dreams and aspirations, the NRL has always been at the top of my list.
“To get the opportunity to do it at 27 is fantastic, it’s perfect timing.
“I want to test myself against the best. I know the NRL is the best competition in the world and that’s what I’m expecting.”
FROM SWAZILAND TO SURFERS PARADISE
When Leeming makes his first appearance for the Titans, it is believed he will be the first player born in Eswatini (Swaziland until 2018) to feature in the NRL.
His parents Khabo and Martyn Leeming met in the African nation and ended up working on cruise ships together, which spawned the inspiration for Leeming’s first name.
“My dad had a choice to travel Africa or America,” Leeming said.
“He ended up travelling Africa and met my mum in Swaziland. My dad was fully British and my mum was born and bred there.
“They worked on cruise ships dealing cards. My mum fell pregnant on a cruise ship and that’s where I got my name – I was conceived on a cruise ship.
“I came to England when I was three years old. I used to go back to Swaziland every year to see my mum’s side of the family.
“I was schooled in England. The main reason I came to England is because the opportunities for work for my parents was loads better.
“It is like a third world country over there and poverty stricken.”
THE FAMILY TRAGEDY
Born in 1995, Leeming was the first of three children for Khabo and Martyn.
His father wasn’t a rugby league man, instead pushing Leeming into sports like golf, pool and snooker.
That was until cancer shattered their family.
“When I was eight he got throat cancer and passed away,” Leeming said.
“My mum was pregnant with my youngest sister at the time. My dad tried to hang on for her to be born but he didn’t make it. My youngest sister is named Marty after my dad.
“I remember it very vividly. I remember the day we got told (he had cancer), him being ill, playing outside and him being ill inside. I knew he was on his last days.
“My dad loved me to bits and took me everywhere with him. I was his first boy.
“Losing him has probably made me the man I am today. Nobody ever wants to lose a parent, but I believe things happen for a reason and it’s made me able to deal with adversity loads better.
“I don’t think I’ll ever go through anything as bad as that.”
A few years after his father’s death, Leeming found rugby league club Siddal in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and quickly fell in love with the game.
“I played a lot of golf, snooker, pool and my dad got me into riding motorbikes,” he said.
“If he was still around he might have pushed me into pursuing golf. I might not have ever played rugby.
“I lived 100m from Siddal rugby league club which is well-renowned for producing some decent players. All my mates from the area played for Siddal.
“I was about 11 or 12 when I played my first game. I fell out of love with it for a bit and went back to golf, then came back to league.”
SUPER LEAGUE TO CBUS
At age 15, Leeming was signed to Huddersfield’s academy program and made his Super League debut in 2013, scoring with his first touch of the ball.
After seven seasons with the Giants, he joined Leeds in 2020 and won the Challenge Cup final in his first year with the Rhinos.
He captained the Rhinos in last year’s grand final loss to St Helens, Holbrook’s former club, and decided to have a crack at the NRL when an opportunity at the Titans arose.
He only has five months to prove he can make it in the cutthroat NRL.
“At some point in your career you’ve got to back yourself,” Leeming said.
“We play a sport without any real security. You sign for two or three years and that’s about it.
“It was the right time for me to back myself. I’m 27 and young enough to take these risks. I’ve not got a family or young kids.
“At some point everyone’s had to back themselves to make a good living out of rugby league. This is my time to do so.
“It is a bit of a risk but it’s a calculated risk and hopefully everything goes well for me.”
For every Super League success story in the NRL like Sam Burgess, Josh Hodgson and James Graham, there has been plenty that have struggled to make the transition.
The Titans have had little success in the past with English imports, bringing Dan Sarginson, Joe Greenwood and Kallum Watkins out for not much return.
Leeming is hoping to buck the trend.
“There’s a couple of English lads that have come over and done really well but there’s another bunch that have come over and gone back,” he said.
“I’m only here until the end of the year at the moment so I’ll be enjoying it for what it is. I can’t look too far ahead at what’s to come. I have to train really hard and make a good account of myself.
“Every week is going to be a tough week, there’s no down weeks. That’s probably the difference between the NRL and Super League.
“In the Super League, the top teams are really good. Then it drops off massively as the table goes down. In the NRL, especially this year, it’s got even tighter than it has in the past.
“A lot of teams in the NRL have won the premiership, whereas in Super League there’s only been four teams to ever win it (St Helens, Bradford, Wigan and Leeds).
“The NRL is so close and every game is such a hard game. It’ll be like playing against St Helens every week, that’s what I’m expecting.”
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Originally published as NRL 2023: Dolphins sign Max Plath, son of Broncos legend John
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