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Newcastle have moved quickly to squash speculation about the future of skipper Kalyn Ponga after it was reported that the club were willing to let him walk as they lost patience with the star.
While Ponga was on the field for Sunday’s Round 6 clash with St George Illawarra in Wollongong, a report was published by The Daily Telegraph which claimed the Knights had taken their deal off the table due to the increasing interference from Ponga’s father Andre.
In the post-match presser, both coach Adam O’Brien and Ponga himself spoke on the matter, with O’Brien calling the reports ‘ridiculous’.
“I had breakfast this morning and we were signing (Cameron) Munster. Fair dinkum,” said the exasperated coach.
“It’s never been brought up to me as head coach. I don’t know what the story is, I got it ten seconds before I walked in here.
“It’s news to me. Our CEO isn’t even in the country, he’s in Hawaii. I woke up to Munster coming, so we’re keeping him (Ponga) and now Munster, bloody hell.”
The Knights captain was a little more circumspect, asking for space to make his call.
“I know you guys (the media) want to know what I’m doing,” he said. “I respect you and I hope that you respect that I want to make this decision on my terms and announce it on my terms.”
Ponga is contracted to Newcastle until the end of 2024 but has options in his favour for the final two years of the deal. The Knights had reportedly agreed to a new five-year contract and wanted to announce it last week but were told by his father that he wanted to wait.
The Dolphins have made no secret of their desire to land a face of the franchise for their debut year in 2023 with Ponga and his Queensland teammate Cameron Munster at the top of their hit list.
Knights Immortal Andrew Johns, on Channel Nine commentary during the half-time break at WIN Stadium, said he would be surprised if the club had told Ponga the deal was no longer on offer.
“I don’t believe it, simple as that. The Knights want to keep Kalyn at all costs. I know there’s a process at the moment. We all know the Dolphins are chasing him. I just simpy don’t believe it, I don’t think the Knights would pull that extension,” he said.
His brother, another former Knights halves legend Matthew Johns, said on Fox League that he thought Newcastle were trying to hurry Ponga up into signing the deal.
He added that Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett chasing Ponga makes him nervous and if the fullback did leave, he’d go after Cameron Munster with a lucrative offer.
Ponga’s form has been below his usual high standards this season as he has been hampered by a nagging knee injury, though his performance against the Dragons was his best of the year.
“It’s disruptive for the Newcastle Knights,” former premiership-winning coach Shane Flanagan said on Fox League. “For Newcastle, I hope he stays. But it does sound like it’s dragging on and on and on. We thought last week there was going to be an announcement that he’d extended and was gonna stay and then all of a sudden there’s a backflip there.”
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