Kalyn Ponga discussion

Oliver said:
“He’s a big part of the club and he’s our captain, but it’s his decision,” Best said.

“I’ve been here the whole time he’s been here, so we have a bit of a connection, but if he does go, we have other fullbacks like ‘Sharpey’ and Fletcher Hunt and other lads to do the job.

“If he stays, then he stays.”

Maybe it’s the way Best speaks but he doesn’t sound too confident Ponga will stay 😕
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Sounds as though Best isn't fussed at all if KP stays or goes......maybe that's the true feeling deep down in the squad? We know how good they tend to play when KP isn't in the squad.

I wouldn't be all that happy playing with the highest paid player in the league who hasn't set the world on fire and is missing for so many games.
 
News reporting the Knights frantically went on the hunt for the NZ Rugby agent who is shopping KP around, got a name, but no return phone calls.

Seems there is validity to the story. What chance a NZ Rugby agent has suddenly just started shopping KP around without KP's permission.

Clearly KP wanting to line something up before he lets the cat out of the bag to the Knights officially. At the moment he has deniability and can just say he knows nothing about it.

I really want this bloke out of the club.
 
Just on Sharpe, December return to training sounds right. Worst case scenario he loses both his spleen and kidney - both of which he would survive and be available early next year.
If that were the case, and he were my patient, I would definitely advise him to give up rugby league. However, I would be exceptionally surprised if he ends up losing the kidney.
I’d like an update from the club - not as a fan, but just because I want to know the poor kid is ok.
All they’d need to say is that he won’t require a splenectomy or nephrectomy.
FTR, if he loses the spleen - he can and should continue playing footy. It’s the nephrectomy that makes things riskier.
I’m sure no news is good news though. If a nephrectomy was required, his medical team would know by now
 
Oliver said:
“He’s a big part of the club and he’s our captain, but it’s his decision,” Best said.

“I’ve been here the whole time he’s been here, so we have a bit of a connection, but if he does go, we have other fullbacks like ‘Sharpey’ and Fletcher Hunt and other lads to do the job.

“If he stays, then he stays.”

Maybe it’s the way Best speaks but he doesn’t sound too confident Ponga will stay 😕
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To me it reads he doesn’t care! As if the club is bigger then kp
 
Hutcho said:
Just on Sharpe, December return to training sounds right. Worst case scenario he loses both his spleen and kidney - both of which he would survive and be available early next year.
If that were the case, and he were my patient, I would definitely advise him to give up rugby league. However, I would be exceptionally surprised if he ends up losing the kidney.
I’d like an update from the club - not as a fan, but just because I want to know the poor kid is ok.
All they’d need to say is that he won’t require a splenectomy or nephrectomy.
FTR, if he loses the spleen - he can and should continue playing footy. It’s the nephrectomy that makes things riskier.
I’m sure no news is good news though. If a nephrectomy was required, his medical team would know by now
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Yeh, I agree, we would already know if he needed any removals. Would be due to irreparable damage or excessive bleeding unable to be managed conservatively - but modern medicine is pretty nifty. They would have removed anything necessary to in Perth, imo.

Think a kidney removal would have been career over. If you’ve lost one due to contact from a pretty innocuous tackle, I don’t think you risk the other. How often do we see somebody fly in with a rib tickler when players are holding a player in a tackle. Especially likely if he’s ever at fullback. Think the Knights and NRL would have some duty of care here too. Any damage to the other kidney and it’s a pretty grim prognosis. Not worth it.

Thankfully, and hopefully, it looks like he will just need the precautionary 3 month recovery avoiding contact and anything that could cause damage. Last thing you want is copping a knock in this stage when everything is knitting itself back together.

Again, I think he is recovering well and he was on the sidelines the other day chatting to Ponga about Rugby wasn’t he? Haha.

Good signs that he is doing okay!
Look forward to seeing him out there in 2026.
 
Hutcho said:
Just on Sharpe, December return to training sounds right. Worst case scenario he loses both his spleen and kidney - both of which he would survive and be available early next year.
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He can’t keep playing rugby league if he loses a kidney. For starters the NRL wouldn’t allow it from an insurance perspective and secondly I doubt he’d want to take that risk. It’s just a sport at the end of the day.

I agree though I doubt he’ll lose an organ given the time since.
 
Not sure how accurate by the way but they mentioned on 360 last night that apparently Ponga doesn’t want to play for All Blacks. The interest is in French or Japanese rugby.

To be honest I think that tracks for Kalyn. We all know he’s a guy that only considers rugby league as being one part of his life, not his entire life and I could definitely see him wanting to spend some time living in another country in his 20s.
 
He is chasing the big money which he is allowed to.....I'm just annoyed he has milked us out off good coin and hasn't delivered consistently and has been missing most of the time.
 
Chaister said:
Not sure how accurate by the way but they mentioned on 360 last night that apparently Ponga doesn’t want to play for All Blacks. The interest is in French or Japanese rugby.

To be honest I think that tracks for Kalyn. We all know he’s a guy that only considers rugby league as being one part of his life, not his entire life and I could definitely see him wanting to spend some time living in another country in his 20s.
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the saudis are starting a rebel rugby comp , it will be the livgolf of rugby, played worldwide, according to kentys podcast theres been nrl players already had offers. Perhaps his been given a massive offer thats to good not to explore, who can blame him. Travel the world and earn 10x 20x 50x? His current contract. If he walks out the knights will be able to seek financial compensation from him just like the dogs with sbw and most likely the saudis will pull it out of their car ashtrays and pay it.

We should be seeing this as a positive, we are not getting a return on investment for him.
 

This one says Ponga is more likely to stay if Hannay gets the job because they are close for QLD camp.
Also says Andre engaged the Rugby agent.

Sounds like the media just make stuff up with all the different stories going around. One of them might get lucky and be correct lol.
 
Chaister said:
Not sure how accurate by the way but they mentioned on 360 last night that apparently Ponga doesn’t want to play for All Blacks. The interest is in French or Japanese rugby.

To be honest I think that tracks for Kalyn. We all know he’s a guy that only considers rugby league as being one part of his life, not his entire life and I could definitely see him wanting to spend some time living in another country in his 20s.
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That makes much more sense to me, those two spots are where the money is. Japan isn’t a high level either, the mega corporations have teams and pay big bucks for imports. It’d be like a holiday for Ponga.

I honestly just hope he goes and we can finally end this speculation forever.
 
If the Saudi's have approached him with an offer, does it make sense he has hired an agent to go looking for offers as is reported?

Who knows what truth there is to any of this.

Same the player telling the club who he wants as coach or he is leaving. If true, thats too much power for a player, time to go.
 
If it is against the NRL contract to seek other employment whilst contracted to an NRL team, you would think engaging an agent to look for other opportunities for you would still be against the contract.

All I ever hear is a player can't be approached by another NRL team etc. A Rugby club isn't party to that contract I wouldn't think so an approach wouldn't be illegal. I'm guessing it's legal a player asking an agent to do some looking around to see what is out there.

Just wouldn't be able to take up any offers due to being contracted.

I'd love to get my hands on an NRL contract to see what is in one, clauses etc.
 
Kurriboy said:
Same the player telling the club who he wants as coach or he is leaving. If true, thats too much power for a player, time to go.
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I think this has been a major part of our problem in recent years.

We make decisions on what Ponga wants.

That’s not how you run a club, the club is always bigger than any 1 player. The sooner we realise that fact, the better we will become

Now is the perfect time to take the power back. Tell Ponga we are happy for you to stay and see out your contract, but we are choosing the coach. If that doesn’t suit you, we give you permission to go to rugby straight away
 
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