‘Five Phingers’ of Maroons set to hand Blues a fistful

Joel Gould | June 11, 2026

They are the “Five Phingers” primed and ready to give Queensland a collective hand to put a vice-like grip on NSW.

Their alter egos of Mad Max, Banana Man, King Kuli, Hammer and Super Sel tell part of the story about five Dolphins who bashed down the door to play for the Maroons at the MCG in game two of the State of Origin series.

In their day jobs the quintet – otherwise known as Max Plath, Thomas Flegler, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Selwyn Cobbo – have been integral to the Dolphins’ five-game NRL winning streak.

King Kuli, the powerhouse second-rower set to make his Maroons debut on Wednesday night, shed light on why the Dolphins have provided five players to the Queensland team

“At the Dolphins we are all close,” he said.

“We do a lot of things together with the boys … go for a coffee and grab a feed. We take that out on to the field.

“It gives us the attitude that none of the boys will let each other down. Having five in the team is pretty crazy.”

Selflessness and versatility are also key attributes of the famous five that make them ideal Queenslanders.

Mad Max, sometimes called “Psychoplath” by fans for his willingness to put his head where others won’t, is a case in point.

The tough utility was starting lock in the 22-20 loss on debut in game one and has been moved to the bench by Billy Slater, where he could come on at hooker, lock, second-row or in the halves.

“I love being a part of great teams,” Plath said.

“At the moment at the Dolphins that is my role. You have to put ego aside and win footy games and I am so stoked Billy gives me the confidence to play a similar role in this team.”

Flegler grew up on a banana farm in Tully in the heart of North Queensland where he learned his no-nonsense approach to getting the job done in stifling heat.

After fans attended his final club game for Brisbane in 2023 dressed as bananas, the fiery prop famously declared: “I am the Banana Man.”

His resilience to come back from a near two-year absence with a shoulder injury and play Origin epitomises the spirit of a Dolphin and the care of the staff.

“We worked really hard with the Dolphins’ performance staff from the rehab coaches, physios and doctors and they put together a great rehab schedule,” Flegler said.

“We have got to monitor (the shoulder), but it has been better than we could have asked for.”

The Dolphins have been a haven for players to improve under head coach Kristian Woolf.

Cobbo is a case in point after arriving at the club this year from Brisbane, where his confidence was down.

The form winger in the competition was close to man of the match in game one of the Origin series.

“Hammer” needs no introduction. The dazzling Dolphins No.1, a centre for the Maroons, has 12 Origin tries in 11 games at a strike-rate never seen before in Origin history.

“Kristian Woolf needs a huge wrap for the development of his players,” Slater said.

“The reason they are sitting where they are is because of the environment they’re in.”