Kalyn Ponga discussion

Kurriboy said:
I agree but haven't you also posted the sentiment that great players don't need a team around them to be good? Citing Teddy etc. Might have been others saying that, correct me if I am wrong please.
Click to expand...
It was, but Teddy playing absolutely out of his mind in seasons where he's had very little around him has never gotten his team into the top four. It's also just the reality that fullbacks can't influence games as much as halfbacks or the engine room (cumulatively) can, so it doesn't make sense that fullback is the position with the highest average salary... but that's a different convo.

I feel like it's possible to tell the difference between a guy doing everything he can for a team which just isn't good enough/isn't performing around him, and a guy who's one of the guys letting the team down and one of the reasons why other guys who are doing everything they can aren't able to be effective. In my view Kalyn has at times been both.
 
Defence wins games said:
That wasn’t my point here. The coach will decide who the captain(s) is/are.
I believe that a leadership group is the way to go and Ponga would probably be even better if he didn’t have the responsibility of captaincy.
But Ponga has repeatedly stated that he will see out his current contract. Finished, end of story.
Click to expand...
Yep you would think so 😂
 
in the years of our struggling attack we have had hardly any continuity in key positions, i do acknowledge 2024 was at times alot of aobs own doing early on in the year trying to get the attack firing.
Is it a coincidence our 2 best years in attack under aob had both our our 7 & 1 play most of the season and 2023 having a spine in attack nearly all year?
2020 8th best attack
kp - 19 games
Pearce - 21
Brailey only played 2 games and mann floated alot between 6 and 9 until we brought in mcullough

2023 4th best attack
Kp - 20
Hastings - 22
Gamble - 24
Crossland* - 25

* Brailey did play 5 games forcing crossland to the bench i think.

Would be interesting to see how this years current top 4 stack up in these positions.
 
Think only Crossland from that 2023 likely to have big games this season, others have missed a few/ lots,
Cogger would be next in spine for this season me thinks.
 
JOJO82 said:
If KP decides to leave then happy days, we free up 1.4/1.5 million.
Click to expand...
Having that amount free to spend sounds good in theory but who’s taking it?

It cost $1.3 million to get Dylan Brown here.

Even if you were to split it between two players, we’d probably end up having to pay $700k for $500k players.

They couldn’t even get a former local junior to come back on good money and as a guaranteed starting 7.

Plus, there’s a new club to compete with as well.

So who exactly do you see coming here realistically?
 
EASBay17 said:
in the years of our struggling attack we have had hardly any continuity in key positions, i do acknowledge 2024 was at times alot of aobs own doing early on in the year trying to get the attack firing.
Is it a coincidence our 2 best years in attack under aob had both our our 7 & 1 play most of the season and 2023 having a spine in attack nearly all year?
2020 8th best attack
kp - 19 games
Pearce - 21
Brailey only played 2 games and mann floated alot between 6 and 9 until we brought in mcullough

2023 4th best attack
Kp - 20
Hastings - 22
Gamble - 24
Crossland* - 25

* Brailey did play 5 games forcing crossland to the bench i think.

Would be interesting to see how this years current top 4 stack up in these positions.
Click to expand...
So our 2 best attacking seasons were when Brailey missed almost the entire season 🤔
 
Newygirl said:
Having that amount free to spend sounds good in theory but who’s taking it?

It cost $1.3 million to get Dylan Brown here.

Even if you were to split it between two players, we’d probably end up having to pay $700k for $500k players.

They couldn’t even get a former local junior to come back on good money and as a guaranteed starting 7.

Plus, there’s a new club to compete with as well.

So who exactly do you see coming here realistically?
Click to expand...

I don't know POS can work that out, but I'm sure whoever it is will most likely spend more time on the field than KP has.
 
Newygirl said:
Having that amount free to spend sounds good in theory but who’s taking it?

It cost $1.3 million to get Dylan Brown here.

Even if you were to split it between two players, we’d probably end up having to pay $700k for $500k players.

They couldn’t even get a former local junior to come back on good money and as a guaranteed starting 7.

Plus, there’s a new club to compete with as well.

So who exactly do you see coming here realistically?
Click to expand...

Yeah we really are in a horrible position.

I guess if Ponga were to go, it depends on new coach or not. Perhaps a new coach would bring a fresh outlook to the club and be more appealing maybe?

It could be argued getting rid of Ponga, playing Brown from 7 with Gamble 6, Sharpe at the back and put Ponga money in to 2 middles would give us a more balanced team.
 
Kurriboy said:
Yeah we really are in a horrible position.

I guess if Ponga were to go, it depends on new coach or not. Perhaps a new coach would bring a fresh outlook to the club and be more appealing maybe?

It could be argued getting rid of Ponga, playing Brown from 7 with Gamble 6, Sharpe at the back and put Ponga money in to 2 middles would give us a more balanced team.
Click to expand...
In that scenario id go brown at 6 in his natural role and cogger at 7 in his natural role in the hope that you can upgrade your 7 in 2027 to slot straight into the established spine. think as a club we are banking on developing our young middles.
 
Newygirl said:
Having that amount free to spend sounds good in theory but who’s taking it?

It cost $1.3 million to get Dylan Brown here.

Even if you were to split it between two players, we’d probably end up having to pay $700k for $500k players.

They couldn’t even get a former local junior to come back on good money and as a guaranteed starting 7.

Plus, there’s a new club to compete with as well.

So who exactly do you see coming here realistically?
Click to expand...
I think it's the wrong way to think about it.

I really believe in this crop of juniors coming in at the moment and Brown & Ponga's salaries are going to force tough calls. I think the best advantage of freeing up his cap space is ensuring the right players can be retained. As it stands that amount of money on two guys really limits flexibility.

In saying that, there probably isn't a reason to push the panic button and shove him out the door. Have to at least see if Ponga, Sharpe & Brown can work first, because historically we've struggled to find spine players with this level of talent.

If Ponga then wants to leave at the end of 26 or 27, fine, I suspect by then the club will know which players we want to upgrade. In the meantime the club should leave no stone unturned in the attempt to develop the right halfback, and it's likely a better idea to replace Ponga with a 7 who's capable to hold the fort till that young half is ready, rather than chase big game we're not going to capture anyway.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
I think it's the wrong way to think about it.

I really believe in this crop of juniors coming in at the moment and Brown & Ponga's salaries are going to force tough calls. I think the best advantage of freeing up his cap space is ensuring the right players can be retained. As it stands that amount of money on two guys really limits flexibility.

In saying that, there probably isn't a reason to push the panic button and shove him out the door. Have to at least see if Ponga, Sharpe & Brown can work first, because historically we've struggled to find spine players with this level of talent.

If Ponga then wants to leave at the end of 26 or 27, fine, I suspect by then the club will know which players we want to upgrade. In the meantime the club should leave no stone unturned in the attempt to develop the right halfback, and it's likely a better idea to replace Ponga with a 7 who's capable to hold the fort till that young half is ready, rather than chase big game we're not going to capture anyway.
Click to expand...
That was actually what I was trying to say. I think for the time being we need to see if KP, Brown and Sharpe can work first.

My argument was in regards to KP walking out the door at the end of this year and us only being left with Brown, Sharpe, and $1.4 million with no clear available players to spend it on.

KP leaving at the end of 27 is a totally different proposition.
 
No longer the highest paid player in the game.

In fact he's the 6th highest.

Cleary, Moses, Turbo, Tino and Luai all higher in that exact order 1-5.
 
Really!? Cleary and Moses deserve to be higher. Turbo is as injury prone as KP. Tino is good but a prop not a half. Laui well just not in the same class.

Jahrome Hughs, Grant and Munster should be on that top bracket.
 
Yeah so don’t know which year is which but we’ve heard Ponga’s deal reported as a mix of $1.5 and $1.2 million years rather than an even $1.4, so that tracks.

I’ve heard Moses’ extension which kicks in next year is massive and makes him comfortably the highest paid player from then on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top