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‘No excuse’: Dolphins star ready to embrace Warriors finals challenge
Joel Gould, AAP • September 8th, 2026 12:03 pm
Max Plath | Photo: Photosport
Life changing moments can eventuate when you play one great match in front of the right person at the perfect time.
Just ask Dolphins everywhere man Max Plath, as he prepares for his first NRL finals series.
The 24-year-old's career turned on its head after completing a train-and-trial deal at Brisbane without securing an NRL contract. He scored two tries and had a blinder for Wynnum Manly against Redcliffe at Kayo Stadium on April 2, 2023 after a positional switch.
Former Dolphins recruitment boss Peter O'Sullivan was watching, as was Redcliffe's then coach Ben Te'o.
"It was my first game at lock forward ever. Everything started happening from there," Plath told AAP.
"It was pretty abrupt. My manager called me the next day and said, 'the Dolphins are offering you three years'.
"I came up the next day, met Peter O'Sullivan, signed the contract and off we went. It was pretty surreal and pretty cool. I was at Dolphins training pretty much the next week."
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He was still living at home in Wynnum and the next week he was driving to Redcliffe, picking up former Dolphins rake Harrison Graham on the way and on track to play in the big time, just like his four-time Broncos premiership-winning father John.
Plath, who had grown up in the halves, but had Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds ahead of him at Brisbane, doesn't hesitate when asked if his Wynnum Manly stunner was a life changing and career defining moment.
"It was," he said.
"All of a sudden I was full-time. It was massive.
"I was signed as a five-eighth, still thought I was a five-eighth and trained as a five-eighth for a bit.
"Ben Te'o put me in his Redcliffe side as lock and I got the opportunity to play NRL at lock. With full-time training I started gaining a bit of size and now I am a middle forward."
Plath, who plays anywhere in the forwards, won the Peter Leis Medal as Redcliffe player of the year in 2023 in the Queensland Cup.
Next season he was Arthur Beetson Medal winner as the Dolphins' best in the NRL.
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At that point good judges were saying in unison: "Max Plath is an Origin player."
A second anterior cruciate ligament rupture in 2025 got in the way of that dream being realised last year, but Plath's attitude was key.
"I went through the same process before so I knew what it was going to be like," Plath said.
"To be honest with you there was no excuse not to come back fit and firing, because the way they do the surgery now and the way we train is unreal. I just had to rip in.
"If you put the hard work and effort in, when you go through rough patches you come out the other side a better person with new perspectives."
Plath realised his Maroons dream this year, playing in all three Origin games, and is now ready to take on the Warriors in Auckland on Saturday in the qualifying final full of confidence, despite the Dolphins being in the playoffs for the first time.
"We had six Origin players this year and went to a game three decider," Plath said.
"I don't know what a grand final is like but if it is a similar atmosphere to that Origin decider then a lot of us have been in those positions before and I don't see why it will be an excuse for us."
Tune into Sport Nation for live commentary of the NRL Finals - download the app today on Google Play and the App Store.
