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It’s now official – the Newcastle Knights have secured the signing of young star Kalyn Ponga for the 2018 season onwards.
While the deal was originally reported some time ago, a cooling off period in the contract meant there was still a chance that Ponga would remain with the Cowboys beyond 2017.
However, it was confirmed on Monday afternoon that the North Queensland prodigy will be heading to the Hunter, with a four-year deal believed to be worth around $3 million beginning for the 2018 season.
“There is no doubt Kalyn is a very talented and exciting young player and his signing is definitely a coup for the club,” Newcastle coach Nathan Brown said.
“We look forward to further developing his talent and welcoming his family to Newcastle.”
Ponga was named at fullback in the 2016 NYC Team of the Year and looks to be the first step forward for Newcastle as they rebuild their side. The side won only the one game in 2016, finishing with the wooden spoon for the second year in a row.
The Knights haven’t made the finals since 2013.
While Ponga is still contracted to the Cowboys for the 2017 season, Newcastle CEO Matt Gidley wasn’t afraid to drop a subtle hint in regards to the future of their star recruit.
“As it stands, we are excited about Kalyn joining us in 2018,” Gidley said.
“Should the Cowboys decide to release Kalyn before the conclusion of his contract, we would certainly welcome him to the Club at an earlier date.”
A strong 2017 season for Ponga would only make the signing for Newcastle even greater as they look to recover from a disastrous two-year spell.
The Cowboys kick off their 2017 NRL season at home to Canberra while Newcastle will travel across the Tasman to visit the New Zealand Warriors in Round 1.
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