Kalyn Ponga discussion

Bit confused Kurri. You laid out all the issues with Kalyn’s game. But then you continue as if he doesn’t bear any responsibility for any of it?

I don’t know man. Maybe the guy playing fullback should get good at playing fullback. Maybe if he’s going to insist on this quasi-half-fullback ****, he should get good at the stuff you want a half to do. Maybe his game should progress beyond being good at being teed up for wide 4-on-4’s and burning forwards filling in on the short side, and steadily getting better at that stuff as the result of hitting his athletic peak.

Think of the other players people rank among the best in the game. Cleary. Haas. Moses. DCE. Isaah Yeo. Tedesco. Tommy Turbo. Which one of them constantly presents this “well how do we solve this riddle of getting the best out of them?” problem? The truly great players tend to be the ones who simplify things, make things easiers for others. Not the ones who need to be totally catered to.

And I’m pretty sure KP liking AOB is a significant element of why AOB is still there. We’ve made so many other decisions to cater specifically to what he wants, you don’t think he has a say in the coach?
 
Think your being harsh Harvee, Ponga is in the midst of a terrible year but he is playing with one of the least effective halfbacks you’ll ever see and a rookie 6. This quasi-half position he is playing is because of the shortcomings of other players. Whenever he has had at least average NRL standard halfback play at 7, KP has looked like one of the best players in the comp.
 
But he’s not actually doing that though. He’s getting his hand on the ball less than Cogger and Sharpe. And blowing up when the rookie 6’s execution isn’t perfect.

If he was busier, more active, I wouldn’t be so critical. Sharpe is chasing the contest. Ponga isn’t. You can prove this empirically.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Think of the other players people rank among the best in the game. Cleary. Haas. Moses. DCE. Isaah Yeo. Tedesco. Tommy Turbo. Which one of them constantly presents this “well how do we solve this riddle of getting the best out of them?” problem? The truly great players tend to be the ones who simplify things, make things easiers for others. Not the ones who need to be totally catered to.
Click to expand...
This comment was what I found harsh. More than half those players have at different stages had massive question marks about how to get the best out them. KP playing with 50 different spine combinations since joining us is completely nuts and has been addressed for next year but the problem presently is still there. Next week there’s going to be another change at halfback and potentially hooker. I think the riddle of Ponga has been figured out, get an average to good halfback, Ponga will tear teams apart.
 
waynesworld said:
This comment was what I found harsh. More than half those players have at different stages had massive question marks about how to get the best out them. KP playing with 50 different spine combinations since joining us is completely nuts and has been addressed for next year but the problem presently is still there. Next week there’s going to be another change at halfback and potentially hooker. I think the riddle of Ponga has been figured out, get an average to good halfback, Ponga will tear teams apart.
Click to expand...
Your arguments ticks except for the total lack of involvement he displays week in week out when we arent going well. He should be the one pushing us or sparking something, He consistently hasnt done that. And thats not a this year bias, this is years and years of exposure.
 
Beatell said:
Your arguments ticks except for the total lack of involvement he displays week in week out when we arent going well. He should be the one pushing us or sparking something, He consistently hasnt done that. And thats not a this year bias, this is years and years of exposure.
Click to expand...
What about all the games that his willed us to victory though. There are heaps and heaps of examples of that. NRL players have poor games, it’s just a poor game for Ponga means he’s pretty unlikely to have someone pull us out of the fire. I think his had a terrible start to the year for us but about 80% of his Knights career he’d walk off one of our best each game.
 
waynesworld said:
What about all the games that his willed us to victory though. There are heaps and heaps of examples of that. NRL players have poor games, it’s just a poor game for Ponga means he’s pretty unlikely to have someone pull us out of the fire. I think his had a terrible start to the year for us but about 80% of his Knights career he’d walk off one of our best each game.
Click to expand...
I agree with your sentiment I disagree with the amount of games he’s been elite. That’s ok. Agree to disagree
 
Beatell said:
I agree with your sentiment I disagree with the amount of games he’s been elite. That’s ok. Agree to disagree
Click to expand...
I acknowledge this isn’t scientific but this is probably his worst stretch of form in the fullback jumper for us and his coming second in the websites player of the year votes. I also don’t think 80% of the time his been elite, just amongst the teams best.
 
waynesworld said:
I acknowledge this isn’t scientific but this is probably his worst stretch of form in the fullback jumper for us and his coming second in the websites player of the year votes. I also don’t think 80% of the time his been elite, just amongst the teams best.
Click to expand...
The problem is he’s getting paid to be the most elite player in the comp. And for that you should be able to assume 80% of the time he is hitting that level. Well that’s my opinion anyway. Paying him so much is costing us other players so he needs to aim up to that pay
 
danknights said:
I just want the fullback to play FULLBACK. Your **** stinks the same as the other players. Play your role milkshake man.
Click to expand...
For years I’ve called for the outside inside man. We now have two electric footed players in the halves but don’t do this. It’s such an easy play but so hard to defend I really don’t understand why we would not utilise our strengths. Instead we will one out it. Dummy half looks up and passes exactly where his body has indicated from the get go. That player then gets swamped. Oh did I mention that the player gets it 5m behind the advantage line regularly. Hmmm under 8s
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Bit confused Kurri. You laid out all the issues with Kalyn’s game. But then you continue as if he doesn’t bear any responsibility for any of it?

I don’t know man. Maybe the guy playing fullback should get good at playing fullback. Maybe if he’s going to insist on this quasi-half-fullback ****, he should get good at the stuff you want a half to do. Maybe his game should progress beyond being good at being teed up for wide 4-on-4’s and burning forwards filling in on the short side, and steadily getting better at that stuff as the result of hitting his athletic peak.

Think of the other players people rank among the best in the game. Cleary. Haas. Moses. DCE. Isaah Yeo. Tedesco. Tommy Turbo. Which one of them constantly presents this “well how do we solve this riddle of getting the best out of them?” problem? The truly great players tend to be the ones who simplify things, make things easiers for others. Not the ones who need to be totally catered to.

And I’m pretty sure KP liking AOB is a significant element of why AOB is still there. We’ve made so many other decisions to cater specifically to what he wants, you don’t think he has a say in the coach?
Click to expand...

KP would make an outstanding fullback if he stuck to just playing the fullback role.

Nobody really knows who is to blame with how KP plays, coach or player. I mean it's clear to see the effect KP has, but AOB still keeps persisting with it. Whether you buy in to the coach is too scared to set him straight I have no idea. If he is, well that is another nail in the coffin of OB, and he has no business being an NRL head coach.

KP for mine does bear some responsibility, walking around in the back behind the play the ball and ball watching as the play unfolds. There is plenty I would hope to see from KP's game that I just don't. A lot of that is on the structure of the team and a lot of that, is on the coach. AOB has had time to recruit the team he wants, and here we are. Hard to argue the players we have, and the team playing style isn't what coach wants.

The dream of getting rid of KP and bringing in the 7 and middles ignores history, and ignores the coach problem. Unless you think KP IS what is wrong with the team, the sole thing.

Maybe KP isn't a truly great player Those great players shine in their position, KP doesn't stick to just one. But for sure, KP is as close to a truly great spine player as this club is going to get, we aren't recruiting any of the players you mentioned, and aren't developing any truly great spine players.

Perhaps the answer IS telling KP to stick to fullback and support play only, stick with Cogger or Gamble in the 7, get Fletcher playing the running game KP is now, and recruit some middles, instead of buying yet another outside back. Combine that with good coaching and a motivated squad and watch us go.

The KP is the problem argument for mine, completely ignores the coaching problem that should be clear by now.

It's truly a sliding doors moment when KP signed with us instead of going with Bennet. I always thought and still do, that KP was crazy not to go.
 
frankLauda said:
You watch how good he goes in origin. He will be able to focus on playing a more traditional FB role because DCE and Munster will be the halves. I really blame the clubs efforts in not identifying or developing competent halves, in particular a decent 7.
Click to expand...
Pick any FB in the game who wouldn't have a blinder outside DCE and Munster. There are a handful of decent 7's across the league. The club has done plenty to grow our own but it hasn't worked, hence the relative massive offers to Pezet and Brown to get one in.
 
Good Times said:
Pick any FB in the game who wouldn't have a blinder outside DCE and Munster. There are a handful of decent 7's across the league. The club has done plenty to grow our own but it hasn't worked, hence the relative massive offers to Pezet and Brown to get one in.
Click to expand...

Except Brown isn't a 7. But I get your point.

Not sure what OB is planning for next season tbh.
 
ponga will leave. Which is a shame because if he played out his career with us he will go down as the second best player in our history.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top