From winning junior premierships as a halfback, to being becoming starting lock, to being moulded into an 80-minute hooker, the career of Max Plath so far has been anything but dull.
Plath - who has spent the past four weeks lining up in the number 9 jersey after the Dolphins were dealt another injury blow with Jeremy Marshall-King sidelined - will face off against the Warriors for the fourth time in his 18-game career and knows his side must win to be any chance of finals.
“I think we absolutely can (win); we've got the determination and the character to show up for each other,” Plath said.
“We just need to keep chipping away, I've got full belief in the boys. We're going to rip in.”
Following their third straight loss last week against the Roosters, the Dolphins have slipped out of the eight, with Plath saying the side had spoken at length on what they needed to do to recapture their early season form.
Max Plath Try
“It's just sustaining effort for the full 80, that's all it is really, and not relaxing at any point, ” Plath said about his side's recent bad habit of blowing halftime leads.
“The good teams, they’re relentless and they hold that standard for the full 80.
“We know what it is and we've been talking about it for a while. We're going to turn it around, we know we are.”
Plath: We need to keep chipping away
Signing a three-year extension with the club earlier this season, Plath has exceeded expectations since making his NRL debut in Round 14 last year.
Coming up through the juniors as a halfback before moving to start playing lock in the Hostplus Cup, Plath’s development this year has been so advance it had some people tossing his name up for Origin consideration as Queensland’s forward crisis worsened. It also has other considering him for Dally M Rookie of the year contention, but a two-game suspension has deemed him ineligible.
On his move lock to hooker this season, Plath said he enjoyed the challenge and has drawn on his experience playing in the halves to do what he can for the team.
“It was challenging the first couple of games getting used to getting out a hooker and and trying to fill that hole that Jeremy left there with his foot injury," Plath said.
“It's still hard to replicate what Jeremy does out of hooker, he's a world-class hooker. Just trying to make my tackles and do what I can do around effort areas and trying to get good service. (Marshall-King) has been helping me ... with little pointers and he's really honest with me, which I appreciate.
“As a half / five-eighth growing up, you have to understand the game as a game management point … (but) I understand what Issy [Isaiah Katoa] and Kodi [Nikorima] want, they want someone to help them out and make calls.
“From that perspective, it has helped, I know what they're thinking and what they want.”
Looking to Sunday, Plath was on alert for a Warriors side set to lift following the announcement of the retirement of Shaun Johnson. The Dolphins however also looking to send one of their Kiwi internationals off on a high, with skipper Jesse Bromwich hanging up the boots at season’s end.
The Dolphins have named Catalans-bound prop Tevita Pangai junior and Kodi Nikorima who both missed last week, as well as winger Jamayne Isaako who came off the field early for the match.
“There's no easy game in the NRL and with Shaun Johnson announcing his retirement, I think they're going to be firing and trying to prove a point for sure," Plath said.
“They're very physical team coming out of their end, so we've got to nullify that, but you also got to consider [Mitch] Barnett, he's had a massive year and [Addin] Fonua-Blake; slow those fellas down and put pressure on [Wayde] Egan and Shaun Johnson, just compete on every play and that's our game plan, just outwork them.
“You have got to bring your shoulders warmed up to play the Warriors, they are very physical team.
“We're expecting that we're looking forward to it.”
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