Old King Coal: Storm star's work ethic forged in Hunter Valley mine

Storm forward Josh King is hoping to win an NRL premiership medal but for now an iron bar takes pride of place on his mantlepiece after the former mining apprentice proved his blue-collar credentials at a gruelling pre-season camp.

King, who will make his 51st NRL appearance for the Storm in Friday night’s preliminary final against Penrith, moved to Melbourne last year after six seasons at Newcastle with the aim of making an immediate impression at his new club.

However, he exceeded even his own expectations by winning the Iron Bar award at the club’s notorious I Don’t Quit camp and has been a mainstay of Craig Bellamy’s forward pack ever since.

“When you are on the camp you get given an iron bar that you have got to carry around for the period and the person who is the best on camp gets to keep their iron bar,” King said.

“I’ve got mine at home on the mantle piece at the moment and it’s something I reckon I’ll probably hang on to for a while.”

The 27-year-old’s attitude towards hard work impressed Bellamy, who is always on the lookout for tireless forwards in the mould of Dallas Johnson, and by Round 8 last season King had played more minutes than in any previous season at the Knights.

It’s a work ethic King developed while working at the Bulga Coal open cut mine, near his hometown of Singleton in the Hunter Valley, as a third year apprentice electrician, while starting his NRL career in 2016.

While most players would have quit their jobs to become fulltime NRL stars, King stuck at it and combined working in the mine near Singleton with training and playing for the Knights.

“It was a pretty crazy time in my life,” King said. “I was working full time in the mines and travelling a couple of hours each way to go to training, and working overtime to be able to get half days off to play footy.

“I probably could have given up the apprenticeship but in my mind I was thinking that if I could get through it, I have that [qualification] for the rest of my life.

“Rugby league only lasts until your early 30s, if you are lucky. It could be over any minute, so I thought it was important that I have that to fall back on.

“It gave me the freedom to dive into rugby league without fear because I knew that the worst thing that could happen is that I have to go back to being an electrician.

“If I didn’t have a spot in the team I didn’t have to worry too much because I could get a job as an electrician and still live a comfortable life.”

After playing 60 matches in his first five seasons with the Knights, King’s approach to the game appeared justified.

He played 18 matches in 2021 but most of those were off the bench and largely comprised of 20 minutes or less in actual game time.

In comparison, the only match he has missed this season was in Round 22 when Bellamy told him to rest.

“Last season was the most games I had played and by Round 8 last year I had played more minutes than I had played in 18 games at Newcastle the year before” King said.

“It was new territory for me to be playing long minutes each week and having to back it up the week after, so one thing I had to learn from guys like Jesse Bromwich was how to navigate a season.

“It is something I am still learning. The way I go into a game knowing that I can perform is by training hard and getting through my training, so it is a steady balance not to be over training and staying fresh for the weekend to putting in a good performance.

I don’t do much pretty stuff, but I pride myself on being able to get through work and be reliable to play each week.

“I didn’t want to have a week off against the Titans but the coaching staff thought it would freshen me up after playing 21 weeks straight and when Craig Bellamy tells you to have a week off that’s what you do.

“The match against Penrith is easily the biggest game of my career but they have been in this position, and done this many times, so they know what works and what can help.”

The Storm, under Bellamy, stick to a simple formula for success, which includes developing gratitude and testing the work ethic of their players by making them work in construction for two weeks during their first pre-season in Melbourne.

Despite being a qualified electrician, King worked as a labourer for a cabinet maker.

“It was interesting and quite hard work,” he said. “We ripped out a few kitchens and did a bit of demolition work, but I also got on the tools and cut up some timber.

“For me, having that previous work experience I knew what to expect compared to some of the boys, but it was still a good reminder of how lucky we are to play rugby league and live our dream every day.”