When the son of four-time Broncos premiership winner John Plath was in the Broncos system he was a playmaker aiming to line up in the NRL halves.
The fact the 24-year-old Dolphins everywhere man will now make his State of Origin debut for Queensland as a starting lock is a tribute to his nous between the ears and on the park.
"Once you realise you're not good enough to make it in the NRL as a halfback you've got to figure it out," Plath said.
"It was a wake-up call when I went to the Broncos. Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds were there, and just some really quality players coming through. I said, 'oh, shit'.
"I was playing five-eighth at the time, and I was like, 'you know what, maybe move to the middle, might help me a fair bit'.
"I got that opportunity and as soon as I played there Redcliffe saw me playing for Wynnum at lock in my first game and scooped me up. I was a lock from then."
The Dolphins signed him up and 40 NRL games later he's a lock for the Maroons after starring in any position in the forwards that coach Kristian Woolf has put him, including hooker this year due to injury to Jeremy Marshall-King.
"Growing up, I've always just been told it's all about competing hard, tackling hard and running hard. That's your fundamental baseline of the game," Plath said.
"Getting pushed into the middle, all of a sudden you don't have to think about defensive structures ... how they're going to attack you, where you're kicking and all that sort of stuff.
"All you have to worry (about is) your job, and I felt like this just came a lot easier to me."
Dolphins fans call him "Mad Max" and "Psychoplath" in an affectionate way for his methodology. Plath runs through brick walls with ball in hand and tackles like a demon.
It is a modus operandi valued by his teammates.
"Max Plath is one I have watched over the last few years and I love the way he plays the game," Maroons hooker Harry Grant said.
"Now he has got the ultimate reward for his efforts and game style. I am looking forward to lacing up with him in the middle."
Plath is one of the NRL's most committed players away from the field as well. Attention to detail is his forte, which is why he was able to return in round two this year, a fortnight ahead of schedule.
"That's what we get paid to do and why we have such a great job, so if I'm ready to play, I'm going to play," the new Maroon said.
Maroons coach Billy Slater said Plath had bashed down the door to the Queensland team due to his good habits.
"He's one player that's just said, 'I can't be left out of this team', and I love what he brings," Slater said.
"This Queensland team values the things that Max Plath does. I can't wait to see him play Origin."
So how did Mad Max find out he was in the team on Sunday?
"I was playing cards with my brother, checking my phone every two minutes," Plath grinned.
"I finally felt it vibrate and picked it up ... and there he was. So it was pretty cool."
It was a "Beyond Thunderdome" moment dreams are made of.
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