Kalyn Ponga discussion

Billy said:
That hit on Ponga by the grub McGuire should be punished as harshly as is possible.
It was a cynical and deliberate attempt to bash the kid out of the game.
If Ponga's jaw had been broken he should have got a year for it.
Basically a swinging arm to the head of a kid who was already held and defenceless.
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That's 1 thing wrong with today's game. In the good old days Cheif would have squared up no risk whatsoever.
 
nunnsy said:
Ponga is running 1st for tackle breaks and 1st for kick return metres not bad for a kid just starting out.
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Feel like he hasn’t even warmed up yet too.

I reckon he would of went the length yesterday if he stepped out but he stepped in and the defence was waiting. Looked like he didn’t see them.
 
Let's not get too carried away, yes he is good, will get even better, think we have seen a bit more than 20% but he will have some tough games ahead as he is targeted and while we lack other players around him to ease the expectation and burden, can't win without someone else making large contributions. Joey was very good but he had a better team around him than Pomga has.
 
Lol not sure where the 20% figure came from. That’s laughable. Small sample size, but he’s playing like one of the games best right now. If he improves by another 80%, he’ll easily be the best player in the game. Right now at quote unquote 20% his form warrants Dally M discussion.

Anyway, kid is a budding superstar. Not many fullbacks I’d take over him right now, especially moving forward. Maybe Tom Trbojevic, but that’s about it. I love Tedesco, but he’s not the ball player Ponga is and doesn’t have his incredibly high ceiling. If Munster moved to fullback permanently, he’d maybe be in consideration, but right now I’d likely only take Tom Trbojevic over him moving forward.

In the future, I think Tom and Kalyn could be fighting it out for the Kangaroos #1 jumper.
 
BargeArse said:
Lol not sure where the 20% figure came from. That’s laughable. Small sample size, but he’s playing like one of the games best right now. If he improves by another 80%, he’ll easily be the best player in the game. Right now at quote unquote 20% his form warrants Dally M discussion.

Anyway, kid is a budding superstar. Not many fullbacks I’d take over him right now, especially moving forward. Maybe Tom Trbojevic, but that’s about it. I love Tedesco, but he’s not the ball player Ponga is and doesn’t have his incredibly high ceiling. If Munster moved to fullback permanently, he’d maybe be in consideration, but right now I’d likely only take Tom Trbojevic over him moving forward.

In the future, I think Tom and Kalyn could be fighting it out for the Kangaroos #1 jumper.
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Tom has a few error issues in his game, he also has a bit of that Dugan syndrome where he always seems to be battling on some sort of injury. His rep future might be as a centre where they can just utilize his big body & hard running game. Ponga also has that class in his game where he could be a fullback at club level, but play in the halves at rep level so they can fit others in. Talking a couple years down the track though, Ponga's more immediate future is probably not far off nabbing a wing spot in rep teams.
 
BargeArse said:
Lol not sure where the 20% figure came from. That’s laughable. Small sample size, but he’s playing like one of the games best right now. If he improves by another 80%, he’ll easily be the best player in the game. Right now at quote unquote 20% his form warrants Dally M discussion.

Anyway, kid is a budding superstar. Not many fullbacks I’d take over him right now, especially moving forward. Maybe Tom Trbojevic, but that’s about it. I love Tedesco, but he’s not the ball player Ponga is and doesn’t have his incredibly high ceiling. If Munster moved to fullback permanently, he’d maybe be in consideration, but right now I’d likely only take Tom Trbojevic over him moving forward.

In the future, I think Tom and Kalyn could be fighting it out for the Kangaroos #1 jumper.
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Go watch some footage of him play in the lower grades, trust me WE HAVE SEEN NOTHING YET!
 
Nickwpearce said:
Go watch some footage of him play in the lower grades, trust me WE HAVE SEEN NOTHING YET!
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We havent seem him in open field much, but other than that he has shown pretty much all he's best hands.

Being 19 those handful of hands should double over the next 2-3yrs hopefully.
Like every good kid, once the nrl tapes start being watched the less impact they start to make.
Thats what separates the good from greats of the game.
 
Something I forgot about Saturday's game. Just after Ponga was hit by Grubguire there was a scrum. He(McGuire) was in the front row with a filthy look on his face and Ponga was at lock with 1 hand on each of his backrowers and a smile on his face. He's 19, just been belted by a dog yet still looks like he's loving it. Can't wait to watch the team and in particular Ponga play each week.
 
Nickwpearce said:
Go watch some footage of him play in the lower grades, trust me WE HAVE SEEN NOTHING YET!
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Yeah.. that’s lower grades, this is first grade. He’s definitely an improved player now than he was in lower grades, only the competition now is a lot stiffer so it’s harder to carve up. Doesn’t mean he’s only at 20% but. He’s playing the best of the best so obviously won’t shine as much.
 
He's playing himself in to contention for a QLD origin jumper so if that is only 20% his best his 100% must be GOAT stuff.

I think even if he played the rest of his career as good as he is now, we can't complain and are getting good value for money. But we know he won't, he will develop further from here and it is going to be exciting to watch.
 
He's good with the ball in his hands, there's no doubt about that but he still has a bit to learn. After Milford broke the line the other night he got squared up easily & he went around him with ease. It was just lucky Milford decided to throw the ball on the ground rather than pass it to his support that prevented a try at a crucial stage.

But having said that for a 19 year old he's class & it looks like by the last year of his contract we may actually be paying massive unders for him.
 
Speedymetric said:
He's good with the ball in his hands, there's no doubt about that but he still has a bit to learn. After Milford broke the line the other night he got squared up easily & he went around him with ease. It was just lucky Milford decided to throw the ball on the ground rather than pass it to his support that prevented a try at a crucial stage.

But having said that for a 19 year old he's class & it looks like by the last year of his contract we may actually be paying massive unders for him.
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Milford pretty much beats every fullback 1 on 1 with his footwork to be fair
 
You can't point to one incident declaring he still has a lot to learn. Fullbacks miss tackles and let in tries all the time, point out any fullback in the NRL who makes that tackle on milf every time?

You point to that one tackle, I'll point to that situation in the same game where he was confronted with a two one one, stayed with the man with the ball (which was jimmy the jet I believe? No slouch in attack) forcing the pass turned and ran down the attacker to save a certain try. Many would have just stuck the arm out to try to knock down that last pass.
 
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