And so, after just two-and-a-bit games, it appears the Knights’ experiment playing Kalyn Ponga at 6 is over.
Ponga’s shift into the halves was the most publicised intra-team movement of the offseason.
With good cause too, the young fullback’s breakout 2018 seeing him named the Players’ Champion and being just a busted ankle away from becoming the youngest Dally M Medal winner in history.
But after defending like an old warhorse at lock in his debut Origin appearance, and with Newcastle’s halves combination failing to fire, it was decided that maybe the best thing for the team was shifting Ponga to five-eighth.
What’s more, rather than having it foisted upon him, the young champion reportedly asked the coach to move him into the frontline for the good of the team.
A month into the season, however, KP is wearing the No.1 jersey again – and he played the back half of the Knights’ loss to Canberra as custodian too.
All that said, it would be a glib interpretation to simply say that that the Ponga experiment has been a failure.
For starters, who else was Nathan Brown going to name at fullback against St George Illawarra?
Connor Watson – who hasn’t set the world on fire but hasn’t done much wrong at the back either – is still on the injured list.
As for Kurt Mann, who played 1 last week, the fact he got hooked from the role against the Raiders shows that while he’s a solid first-grader, he’s not a fullback.
Other than that, stocks are pretty thin (truth be told, Mann getting a run was a shock to most in the first place).
Meanwhile, waiting in the wings for his first crack in red and blue was Mason Lino, who showed during his years at the Warriors he can absolutely do a job in the halves – and, not for nothing, he’s the incumbent halfback for Samoa.
With the team’s first-choice fullback on crutches and with the back-up having failed to fire, doesn’t it just make sense to move Kalyn to 1 and give Lino a whirl?
If Lino puts on a show, then you’d probably say Ponga to five-eighth is on indefinite hiatus (here in the Hunter, we call it ‘doing a Silverchair’).
But if Lino fails to fire, then you have to wonder what Brown will do when Watson is ready to play again.
Do you go back to 2019’s Plan A – Ponga at 6 and Watson at 1 – which yielded a tight win over the Sharks and a narrow loss to Penrith? Or revert to 2018’s Plan A – Watson at 6 and Ponga at 1 – which saw the team finish 11th?
I’m not willing to say that the experiment is over for 2019 just yet.
But even if it is, well, let’s all remember that Ponga turned 21 literally a week ago (I believe the kids would say “HB KP”), and has played a grand total of 32 first-grade games.
The fact he can do things with his hands and feet that few others in the history of rugby league could, and that he seems to have a mature head on his shoulders, distract from the fact he is very much at the start of his career.
Kalyn Ponga of the Knights. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Comparisons to Darren Lockyer were inevitable, the future Immortal providing the model of how a move from fullback to five-eighth can all go so well.
But these comparisons should also take into account that when Locky made the switch from 1 to 6 for Brisbane, he was 27 years old, playing his tenth season of first grade, already had four premierships under his belt and had won a stack of Origin series and Tests.
In short, he had long been established as the club’s leader and was their out-and-out best player (no small feat when you’re talking the early 2000s Broncos).
The pressure was on Locky, for sure, but he had the experience to handle it and commanded enough respect that a few rough games – and people forget, there were rough games – were allowed to slide.
It also makes it easier when you’re playing in a team of absolute superstars, and your replacement as custodian is a future dual-international named Karmichael Hunt.
KP and Locky? Chalk and cheese.
In short, even if Kalyn Ponga isn’t seen wearing 6 again this year, you’d be a fool to say it’s never going to happen.
Rather than a case of ‘not a five-eighth’, the smart money says Ponga’s ‘not yet a five-eighth’.
Ray Paks
Roar Rookie
Naah, Roger and NRL owe an apology to Tedesco who in my mind won it hands down!
Rube
Guest
Lockyer.... future immortal ????????????????.... nope
Wayne Turner
Guest
I predicted Ponga was NOT going to work this season at 5/8,and said it numerous times - Too soon,too inexperienced for him to move there. At least Brown was quite quick,to admit with his actions he got it wrong,ending the experiment and move him back to fullback.
Knight Vision
Guest
"I don’t believe he’s a star now. I think he’s a young player with enormous enthusiasm, limited skills " ....WTF ?? "I think he needs a much better coach to hone his still erratic skills and while he looks like a star at the Knights, I’m not convinced he’ll reach the heights under Brown......Ponga has credited his success last year to the coaching of Brown......
lewl
Guest
Finishing 11th in 2018 with Ponga at 1 and Watson at 6 had less to do with that combination and more to do with a forward pack that simply didn't have the grunt. They've added to that pack now - Klemmer first and foremost, but also Glasby and Gavet. The other position of worry - centre - has been boosted with Jesse Ramien. So stop fooling around with the things that were working just as you've solved other issues.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
If that’s all he was ‘enthusiasm with limited skills..without nous ‘his peers wouldn’t have voted him best player in the game,his SOO coach wouldn’t have debuted him at lock and we’d be talking more about Jack Wightons equal disappointing opening 3 games at 5/8..
Con Scortis
Roar Guru
I'm pretty sure RTS also missed a few games to injury last year
Con Scortis
Roar Guru
That's BS eagleJack. After yesterday's loss, for the next Manly game I want Des to move Tommy T into the front row, Tapau to fullback, and Apisai Koroisau moved to the wing. ps. yesterday was my first ever game at Brookie!
Paul
Roar Guru
The temptation for an underwhelming coach is to use a guy like Ponga to either plug holes or to play where the coaches thinks he can best serve the team. On paper, that's probably okay but when it translates to an actual game, it almost never works, if the guy is playing in a position where he's not comfortable. The issue should NOT be about where the best player in the team plays. Ponga should stay at fullback, end of story. This should come back onto the coach to develop other likely candidates. To do otherwise with a play of Ponga's quality is simply lazy coaching.
Paul
Roar Guru
wasn't it Mitchell himself who raised the option of moving to 5/8? This got a mention in the Thursday night game and Alexander said almost exactly the same thing you did in your last sentence.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
"Locky made the switch from 1 to 6 for Brisbane, he was 27 years old, playing his tenth season of first grade, already had four premierships under his belt and had won a stack of Origin series and Tests." As you say, that's the key comparison to Ponga. Even Greg Inglis wasn't as potent at 5/8 when he moved there in 2007. I think he went back to centre the next year.
Bazza
Guest
BTW, I'm going to say this, simply because no one else ever has and it gives me the sh*ts. Roger Tuivasa Shek WON the Dally M Medal but just about every day for the last 6 months, we've heard, from journalists and commentators, that Kalyn Ponga would have won if not for injury. No one knows that for certain. Just maybe he wouldn't have earned the points necessary to pass RTS. It must be enormously disappointing for Roger Tuivasa Shek to have been awarded the highest individual prize in the game only to have all the recognition and glory attributed to Ponga. You journos and commentators all owe Roger an apology.
Bazza
Roar Rookie
They say a truly good player can play just about anywhere and there's certainly evidence of good players being moved to different positions and starring for their teams. Cooper Cronk was a centre but Bellamy turned him into one of the best half backs in the game. Wayne Bennett made changes with Lockyer and we know that while Billy Slater was out of action for a long period, a young 5/8 by the name of Munster took over as fullback and instantly made it look as though he'd always played there. So it is more than possible for good players to make the transition and in some cases fairly quickly. But is it just the quality of the player or does it take a master coach to make it possible? I'm not saying Ponga isn't a star of the future but I don't believe he's a star now. I think he's a young player with enormous enthusiasm, limited skills that were highlighted in a lacklustre team last season, but without the nous to yet lay claim to star status. I think he needs a much better coach to hone his still erratic skills and while he looks like a star at the Knights, I'm not convinced he'll reach the heights under Brown. Ponga looks really good at times, while at others, he looks like he's playing out of his league. I know many may have a go at my analysis but I'm not one to be caught up in the hype surrounding players, but rather look at things realistically. There's much excitement around Ponga, great PR puffery and it doesn't always end well if young players, and their coaches, get caught up in it. That's my biggest concern for Ponga.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Spot on CM. These young players already have enough pressure to deal with as they adjust to life in the NRL. To then take them out of position, where they are excelling and gaining them rep honours, seems absurd to me. Leave Ponga at 1 where his deception, footwork and superior running game can be fully utilised. And find someone else to fill in at 6.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Ponga is a fullback who can play in the halves. Fullback is a hugely i,port ant position. Would you move Teddy or Billy or RTS? Why would you move Ponga. He can still come in at second receiver and ball play but you get all the added bits as well. Poorly thought out move imo.
matth
Roar Guru
Well said
Clanger McClunk
Guest
I hope Ponga stays at fullback this year, next year and every year thereafter. He is a brilliant fullback having shown in one season he has the talent to possibly eclipse Billy Slater in time. I don't get all this talk about moving players from their proven position with Latrell Mitchell being the other one last week being talked about as a 5/8. If a player dominates his opposition then leave him where he excels.