NRL forward Max King to choose England over Australia ahead of World Cup

Max King comes from a long line of Kings who have dominated rugby league for over 80 years.

His great-grandfather, Cec, played for Souths in the 1940s, Johnny won seven premierships with the mighty St George in the 1960s and his dad David played for Gold Coast in the ’90s.

Now, though, the Canterbury Bulldogs forward is ready to play for England – instead of Australia.

His father David, following a spell at the Gold Coast, played for Huddersfield in England which is the birthplace of Max.

“My mum is English and I spent the first seven years of my life there before moving back to Oz,” Max told Wide World of Sports.

“So I definitely qualify for England and it would be a great opportunity if I got selected.

“Grandad tells plenty of stories about playing for Australia but he is more than happy for me if I get chosen for England.

“I will wait and see what happens.”

King also reveals that he lost his English accent in a bid to ‘fit in’ Down Under.

“When I first got here the other kids teased me because of the way I spoke,” he explained.

“So I worked hard on talking like an Aussie kid. Now I wish I’d kept the English accent … I reckon the girls would love it,” he added.

With England boss Shaun Wane travelling to Australia in a bid to meet with potential World Cup players, King could well force himself into the reckoning after a stellar season so far in Canterbury.