Three months ago, Max King couldn’t make the top 17 of the NRL’s worst team.
This week the 22-year-old will play in a grand final qualifier for minor premiers, Melbourne.
No wonder his head is spinning.
King – the grandson of seven-time Dragons premiership winner Johnny – came off the bench for the Titans in the first 10 rounds this year then failed to even make the first grade cut.
Then remarkably Melbourne came calling before the June 30 mid-season player transfer deadline.
The surprises have kept coming for King who on Tuesday kept his Storm bench spot for Saturday’s grand final re-match against the Sydney Roosters at the SCG.
“I am still pinching myself that I am here, it’s crazy,” King told AAP.
“I was in a bad spot at the Titans personally. I was low in confidence, stuck in reserve grade – things just weren’t going my way.
“It was hard because the Titans first grade team was struggling and I couldn’t even make that team.
“I was beating myself up a bit. But I left with no hard feelings. Besides, you could say it has worked out pretty well.”
What an understatement.
Not only was King snapped up by Melbourne on a two-year deal after 38 games in three seasons for Gold Coast, he was injected into the Storm 17 from the outset in round 23.
Stepping up in the absence of Storm forwards Christian Welch (knee) and Albert Vete (shoulder), King hasn’t looked back.
Now he is on the verge of running out in a re-match of the 2018 season decider he watched on TV on an end of season trip to Melbourne, wondering if he would ever taste finals footy.
“We were well into our (Titans) off season by then last year. I had a boys trip to Melbourne which was the first time I had ever been there,” he said.
“I went to the AFL grand final and watched the NRL grand final on TV.
“Now I look around and see guys like Cameron Smith and all these great players – I am honoured to be there.
“So I am going to appreciate this.”