Kalyn Ponga

My thoughts were, who is this kid we are paying a fortune for, now I am thinking, what a bargain, what absolute potential we have, how good is it going to be, very happy.
 
A good part of how quickly Ponga has developed is that Brown spent most of the off season developing the team around Pearce and Ponga - and Pearce was only getting half games and started training a bit later.
He had the full attention of Mick Potter, who is a Dally M player of the year, rep level fullback and firstgrade coach.
He also had playmaking lessons from Matt Johns who did remarkable things with playmakers like Mullen, Cronk, Widdop etc etc in the past.
His rise has been remarkable, and the speed he learns things is just incredible, but the Knights have thrown all our resources at him, and he wouldn't have had as many resources thrown at him at any other club.
If he spent the off season training with the Cowboys he would have been a very small bit player in the JT show.
At Newcastle, the training sessions were about half about Pearce and half about Ponga, and even Pearce was working on how he would combine with Ponga.
 
Except he spent several off seasons learning his craft off of 2 Australian halves and a very capable fullback in Coote.

People quickly forget how good he was for the Cowboys in 2015/2016 especially with his reading of the game at the back. His positioning was second to none.

Pongas rise this year has been sensational but it wasn’t off of this one pre season at the Knights.

Go back to highlights of Ponga last year. JT put him through a hole and Ponga scores. He runs straight to JT thanking him etc. Even then JT is teaching him on the field of where to be at what time for next time/play etc. That is worth more then anything said to him during training runs.
 
It’s abit of both I reckon. He’d of learnt plenty up there but has gone to another level as a player down here. I don’t think even the Cowboys knew just how good he was going to be.
 
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Anyone with two eyes and most with one knew how good he was going to be. You don't get offers from AFL, super rugby and 75% of NRL teams unless you are an exceptional talent.

The Cows already had Coote under contract and with all their big names could only offer less than half the money the Knights did and no guaranteed spot at fullback. Easy decision for him.
 
I don't think the Cowboys knew just how quickly he would develop. If they had any idea he was as good as this, they would have got him in the side. Coote may have been a recent premiership winner with them, but you tap him on the shoulder & offer the spot to Ponga if you're serious about keeping him. I don't care if he was already contracted, you tell him it's in his best interests to move on or play reserve grade.

Personally, with the hype Ponga had on him, I would have tried to move Coote on anyway even if I thought it would take Ponga multiple years before he starred at NRL level, but the Cowboys can't have predicted his rise otherwise they would have done everything in their power to make him their fullback for the next decade. I would be pretty filthy as a supporter if my team chose an aging player who might win you a premiership in the next 2 years over a young star who already at the time, looked like he could be a star for the next 10 years.
 
I don't think anyone knew how quick he was going to develop and how good he really is. If someone said to me at the start of the year ponga was going to play lock for qld and do a outstanding job at it I would have pissed myself laughing.
 
I don't think anyone knew how quick he was going to develop and how good he really is. If someone said to me at the start of the year ponga was going to play lock for qld and do a outstanding job at it I would have pissed myself laughing.

Absolutely, Ponga is a different beast to what is the norm. There are so many touted superstars that come through every year, most of them don't live up to the hype & either settle into your standard NRL players or disappear, some go good & eventually build up to star level over a few years. Ponga had an unusual amount of hype but I still didn't expect this. The moment he stepped on the field for us, he showed he was very special.
 
All ifs and buts. Cowboys knew exactly what they had on their hands. They prioritised proven rep standard talent on upgraded contracts over a 18 year old kid.

Give me Morgan, Taumalolo and Hess on long term contracts over Ponga any day of the week.

Morgan already proven to take a team to the GF and Taumalolo already the one of the greatest forwards to play the game while still only 24.
 
I’d take Ponga over Hess easily. Probably Morgan too. Ponga has a higher ceiling than Morgan and will most likely end up being a better player. Can’t dispute Taumalolo though best forward in the game comfortably.

You’re kidding if you don’t think the Cowboys are kicking themselves about not offering Ponga more right now. Even more after what he does to them tomorrow night.
 
All ifs and buts. Cowboys knew exactly what they had on their hands. They prioritised proven rep standard talent on upgraded contracts over a 18 year old kid.

Give me Morgan, Taumalolo and Hess on long term contracts over Ponga any day of the week.

Morgan already proven to take a team to the GF and Taumalolo already the one of the greatest forwards to play the game while still only 24.
Ha ha that's a good laugh especially hess you would probably be the only person who watches rugby league who would rather hess over ponga. You might get a small percentage who would take Morgan over ponga. Taumalolo would be the only one who would come close.
 
Ha ha that's a good laugh especially hess you would probably be the only person who watches rugby league who would rather hess over ponga. You might get a small percentage who would take Morgan over ponga. Taumalolo would be the only one who would come close.

Maybe read it better and see I used them as a collective three not individually.
 
I’d take Ponga over Hess easily. Probably Morgan too. Ponga has a higher ceiling than Morgan and will most likely end up being a better player. Can’t dispute Taumalolo though best forward in the game comfortably.

You’re kidding if you don’t think the Cowboys are kicking themselves about not offering Ponga more right now. Even more after what he does to them tomorrow night.

Maybe they are but if we get Holmes and also Oates as the rumours suggest I guess the Cowboys management will be quite happy with how they have used the cap management on signing proven rep players with their best years ahead of them still.
 
But were you really going to lose those 3 players by offering ponga a bit more .

Could definitely of lost at least one of them if we went into a bidding war as I’ve got no doubt the Knights could and would of offered more if we were willing to budge on our offer to much.

The Sharks were circling for both Morgan and Taumalolo. Taumalolo has knocked them back twice now.

It all means nothing as I’m happy where the Cowboys are heading into the future if Holmes comes as fullback and Oates follows him.

Will still have a very competitive team and the Knights get one of the best in the comp as well.
 
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