In tearing an ACL in his knee in the Sharks trial game in Papua New Guinea back in February, Cameron King never had the chance to display his abilities in Cronulla colours, however his career, which stretched across four NRL clubs, will be remembered as much for the success he enjoyed as it will be for the setbacks he endured.
A member of the Dragons and Cowboys squads to claim premiership titles in 2010 and 2015 respectively, King arrived at the Sharks in 2020 shaping as the perfect foil for young hooker Blayke Brailey.
Unfortunately Sharks fans never had the opportunity to see King perform due to the pre-season injury, with the 29-year-old recently making the decision to call an end to his NRL career.
He signed off with a typically honest and heartfelt social media post as he bid farewell to his many friends, teammates and fans across the game.
“Since I was four years old all I ever wanted to do was play rugby league. I have lived and breathed it for 25 years,” King expressed via his twitter handle @CAMKINGY. “I feel truly blessed to have had 10 years as a professional athlete but the time has come for me to announce mu RETIREMENT from the NRL.
“I am truly grateful to have been able to live out my childhood dream. I’ve met so many great people along the way who will remain lifelong friends. Thank you to my family who have always supported my dreams, especially my mum and sister who have been there every step of the way.
“I want to thank every player and staff member I have worked with at the Dragons, Cowboys, Eels and Sharks. I’ve faced a lot of adversity in my career and I feel I never did reach my potential. Mentally and physically I have faced many battles but I have been so lucky to have been a part of some successful clubs that have won premierships and I’ll be forever grateful for those memories.”
While he signed off with a simple; “Thank you Rugby League.”
In playing 71 top grade games, a number much fewer that could have been the case had he not ruptured a pectoral muscle at the Dragons, an ACL playing for the Cowboys, suffered a serious concussion early in 2018 when representing the Eels, before the season-ending injury at the Sharks, King experienced the lows with class and determination, while enjoying the highs of premiership success at two different clubs.
An outstanding junior, captaining both the Australian Schoolboys and NSW Under-18’s, King spent some of his formative years at the local Endeavour Sports High School before making his NRL debut at the Wayne Bennet coached Dragons in 2010.
From St George Illawarra King headed north to the Cowboys for he 2014-2015 seasons, before returning to Sydney and the Parramatta Eels in 2016 where he played for three years.
After a stint at Featherstone Rovers in the UK, King signed with the Sharks ahead of the 2020 season.
A first-time father during 2020 , King is planning a move back to North Queensland with fiancé Kirsty and their daughter Arabella.
