Canterbury Bulldogs front-rower Max King. More recently, he has dealt with serious health problems stemming from a toxic mould outbreak in his residence. He and his family have faced tremendous health challenges in these last six weeks. Now, as the NRL finals are just around the corner, King is leaving their abode. Going into round one of 2025 the Bulldogs were clear favourites for the minor premiership. They have faltered in the past, coming in third and winning just two of their final six matches.
The source of the mould infestation, according to King, was moisture that was accumulating underneath bathroom tiles and leaks in the home’s roof. This issue has taken a tremendous toll on his family’s health. After returning from his trip, King developed flu-like symptoms, including a productive cough and drenching chills and sweats. In addition to him, his wife Christy and their son Hercules developed life-altering conditions.
“It was going on for six or seven weeks. I was sick, my missus was sick and my son’s been sick,” King stated, reflecting on the prolonged discomfort they endured.
Health Challenges Prompt Urgent Move
Fearing for their increasingly compromised health, King and his family made the decision to move. They worked with professional removalists to coordinate the short distance move. This came only days before their fateful prelim final matchup vs the Melbourne Storm.
As soon as we moved out, the next morning, we felt 100 percent better. In a statement, King thanked the club for their continued support during this difficult time. We had removalists the other day, and it’s a busy period, but the club have been fantastic in facilitating that,” he said.
Even after their disappointing past few weeks, the Bulldogs are still optimistic as they head into their final game of the season. They are predicted to get through some serious hardship, with a number of players and key players even more so sitting on the sidelines or wounded. This has led to doubts of how well they can compete when up against a then-invincible Storm team.
Looking Forward Amidst Adversity
As Max King takes time to prioritize his health and family, he is undoubtedly still trying to do whatever he can to help his team through the finals. His wife’s pregnancy issue only intensifies the feeling of urgency as they feel their way around this new home. The Kings are optimistic that moving away from the mould-affected home will allow them to regain their health and energy.
Reflecting on the cause of their unfortunate situation, King noted, “We had a bit of mould in the tiles and with all this rain we’ve had in Sydney, we’d had a bit of leakage in the roof.” The interplay of these factors, discriminatory practices, broken transportation infrastructure, lack of access to healthy food and healthcare, created an environment that was literally killing his family.
