Now that Kalyn Ponga has finally inked a contract extension, proved his loyalty to the club, removed any trace of get-out clauses, the real hard work begins – showing he’s worth the multimillion-dollar investment.
Ponga has restored his public image with Knights fans by turning his back on the big dollars offered by the Dolphins to stay at the club which took a chance on him five years ago when he was just a young Cowboy with potential.
But he is now 24, entering what should be the prime of his career, and expectations will be sky-high.
Anyone who’s seen him play games such as his memorable debut in the State of Origin arena in 2018 when he was thrown into the fray as a roaming lock will know he has elite ability.
But he has not delivered that class on a consistent level at Newcastle. Too often he’s not been involved enough or sidelined with injuries.
He only needs to consult Maroons teammate David Fifita at the Titans to get a gauge on the intense scrutiny that comes with being the marquee player on massive coin every week. If you don’t deliver the epitome of top-shelf value every week, there will be no shortage of critics ready to cut the tall poppy down.
Ponga said at his media conference on Wednesdy afternoon it was a proud moment to announce his contract extension “on my terms, our terms” as he glanced left and right at his dad Andre, coach Adam O’Brien and general manager Danny Buderus.
When asked if he felt pressure to rush out the announcement in light of the recent media circus surrounding his contract negotiations, he said: “I’ve sort of known what I was gonna do for a little while now.
“Sitting here now is actually pretty surreal. I think if you look back over the last four years, even since when I came to the Knights, I have had questions about what I am doing.
“I’ve never felt rushed in my decision. I have never felt like I wasn’t making a decision on my terms. I’ve always been patient and I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to do that.
“Now that I sit here I wasn’t rushed or pressured. I have been content with my decision for a little while now and I’m grateful I get to make it on my terms.”
He had been heavily criticised for meeting Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett recently and for the growing influence of his father Andre, which had caused tension with the Knights heirarchy.
(Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Ponga was contracted until the end of 2024 but had an option in his deal to leave, which was originally included to allow him to pursue a potential switch to rugby union, another source of frustration for Newcastle fans and fuel for them to question how sincere he was about getting the team back into premiership contention.
The new deal removes all existing options and clauses from the current contract.
He had earlier told teammates of his decision and thanked them for letting him sort out his playing future without interference and they gave him a rousing round of applause.
The Knights officially signed Anthony Milford earlier in the day after the former Broncos star’s contract was registered for the rest of the season. He is banned until Round 11 due to charges from an off-field incident in Brisbane last September.
Anthony Milford (NewcastleKnights.com.au)
Ponga, who has been hampered by hamstring and knee injuries last season and earlier this year, has had his form questioned and whether he was indeed worthy of the megabucks Newcastle were throwing his way.
Heading into Sunday’s home clash with Parramatta. The Knights dropped to 11th place with a 2-4 record after their upset loss at the hands of St George Illawarra in Wollongong last Sunday.
“I have been here for four years and I have worked hard to get to this position. The people that are on board within these walls, they’ve probably made me want to stay,” he said.
“I just see the vision of the club, where the club is moving, everyone that’s involved and how many people are working hard to win. Really we all have the same goal at the moment and that’s to win and I don’t want to walk away from that.
“I want to be at the front end of that. I want to steer that and I want to do it for the next five years.”
Ponga, who was made Newcastle’s captain this season after Jayden Brailey tore his Achilles before the trials, has made 78 appearances for the Knights since joining the club in 2018 following nine matches across two seasons at North Queensland.
With Ponga remaining at the Knights for the next five seasons, the Dolphins’ best chance of landing a current representative star is Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster, however Melbourne announced last week they would not entertain an early release from his deal for next year even if he asked for one.
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Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Not the way they are playing at the moment. Over the next 5 years they could easily miss the finals every year. They aren't contenders year in year out
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Agree to disagree on this one. The Knights should be consistently in the finals mix for the next few years. Greater Northern Brisbane, on the other hand, should be happy if they don't pick up a spoon or two.
Westie
Guest
Get ready Cronulla! Cronulla have quite a few good young players. Especially in the forwards. No way they can afford to keep them all. The Dolphins next target should be to steal some good young up & coming forwards from the Sharks!
Panthers
Guest
Penrith has always developed a lot of talented local juniors. The system they’d used to bring them through was the problem. Phil Gould helped save the Rugby League club, with not spending any money on players for a few years & getting a loan to save them. He did a reorganisation of the juniors set up & that has worked. However, he was also responsible for Signing Griffin. All of his own doing. Re-signing the likes of Whare several times over. Also Mansour, when they could have kept Sivo for virtually nothing. Plus a few other dud buys by the club. So let him work over your junior system. Just don’t leave him to sign the clubs coaching staff or let him decide which players the club signs .
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
No it wouldn't. He was challenged by Bennett and took the easier option to remain at an underperforming Knights side. The Knights have low expectations too
Paul
Guest
I’d say Katoa is their marquee signing. Even though he’s yet to play first grade.
Justin
Guest
No offence. Burton at the Storm would look far better than he does at the Dogs. As would Flanagan & quite a few of their forwards. Why Burton would take a contract from the Dogs is anyone’s guess? He could have gone to Cronulla or any number of other clubs. Could have had a great career in the centres for Penrith also.
EastOfDivide
Guest
I doubt that they are all paying unders. Even the coaches of the clubs say that there are many extra payments for certain players, that are outside of the salary cap . Both legal & illegal payments. Even in the Women’s competition, there are mysteries payments. I know a South Sydney through & through supporter, who’s from Mascot. His niece is from South’s area , is a high profile female player. She signed with the Roosters. She was just renting & struggling. After signing with the Roosters, all of a sudden owns a unit on the coast & has a brand new luxury car. When he asked her how this was possible. Her reply was, ‘Don’t ask any questions, I can’t tell you anything’.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Wouldn't the easier option be to join the club with low expectations but the experienced coach? And do you really think Ponga would be taking a pay cut to join the Dolphins?
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I thought Ponga was great against the Dragons. He can't do everything.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Bennett challenged him to go to the next level at the Dolphins and he took the easy option and more money. Knights will not win a premiership in the next 5 years
Simoc
Roar Rookie
It was a good move of Pongas to meet Bennett. It gave media nobodies a story a week and the Knights the need to respond and pay top dollar for a guy, though he is a great player when on, isn't really what the Dolphins need at this stage. Munster is but I doubt we'll get him either. I'm expecting the Dolphins to be competitive straight away. Bennett is at least the second best coach out there, and even without stars, they will be playing as a team, each week. That is preferable to a few other sides in the competition.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Matth, I agree with that. Did you know it was Gus who built the Roosters pathways? When he arrived they were known as the transit lounge and were in line for the wooden spoon. Before he joined the Panthers as GM, he was at the Rooster as GM football getting their juniors to where it is now. They had to do something, nobody plays league in their district. Drive around the Paddington area on a Saturday afternoon and you would be lucky to see any sort of sport at all, let alone league. There just aren't that many kids in the city. He started up the development pathways programme that took juniors from around the country and progressed them through to first grade. Next thing you know, the Roosters are starting to have their own players making the team. I know some people will say, "yeah, but he stole good juniors from other clubs" and that may be true, but you still have to develop them into first graders and that is a challenging process. Junior superstars are not nailed on to become first graders and the statistics show they will probably be lucky to make it. I have lost count of the budding superstars that I saw in the Panther's juniors who amounted to nothing, because, frankly, the Panther's were rubbish at developing players for much of their history. In fact my advice to a Penrith junior a while back would be sign for the Storm, Broncos or Roosters and then you have a chance of turning into the best version of yourself. The Broncos have since lost their way on development, but they were brilliant at it for many years, supplying half the Australian side.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
They can't keep expanding as is. Already the competition is too large and unwieldy and about to be split into 2 conferences to save the NRL from having a 12-month season. How can the NRL continue to expand the game and introduce new franchises into untapped regions otherwise? Especially as there is no longer a sufficient talent pool to support 17 teams much less any additional franchises.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
With Ponga bailing on Bennett it is absolutely that the Redcliffe Dolphins get Cameron Munster across the line for 2024. I doubt that the Storm will give him an early release for 2023. If the Dolphins can sign Munster then possibly Reece Walsh might follow. The word is looking to leave the Warriors on compassionate grounds as he isn't keen on relocating to NZ when they move back there in 2023. I'm sure he would be happy to continue training and playing at Moreton Daily Stadium.
Randy
Roar Rookie
good point. Who would ever have thought Hughes would become the player he has? Imagine if Luke Brookes had been at the Storm since he was 19...
Dan
Roar Rookie
Sorry I think you have this backwards! If you don't have a "top class 6 or 7", then it's a sign that you DON'T have "the best development, the best coaches, the best facilities, the best processes". Melbourne is the prime example. Cronk, Munster, Hughes, even arguably Widdop and Hynes where not bought to the club as top halves, or even really halves at all! It was through processes and development that they became top quality 6's and 7's. I find it strange that people think the competition is lopsided because it would take a million plus to prise players away from the Storm. The competition is lopsided because clubs are trying to take million dollar plus shortcuts to the Storm's success, without putting the hard work into development that got the Storm there in the first place!
Albo
Roar Rookie
It is not that simple to try to compare the Storm "spare parts" with the Dogs "top line talent" as being a "coaching talent" thing ? I would guess if you swapped around the spines of these two clubs, we might have a completely different form reversal despite the coaches. How would the Dogs look with Grant, Hughes, Munster & Paps as their spine ? How would the Storm look with the "top line talent" of JMK, Flanagan , Burton & Dufty in their spine ?? Its all about the quality of the key cattle positions , IMHO.
Albo
Roar Rookie
But the Storm's key is that they have always had a top class spine ( like now with Grant / Smith, Hughes, Munster & Papenhauyzen) around which most "Cup rated" players will likely develop to NRL level if their attitude is right. The Storm's main roster task has been to keep their top spine happy to stay with them $$$ !
Adam
Roar Guru
If the Broncos lose this week....there's your story