Kalyn Ponga discussion

I can see Best being priced out for us, eventually I wouldn't mind seeing Sharpe move into their, in theory we could have both Fletchers as centres.

I think it might come down to what we re-sign Lucas for. You just know Moses will try to squeeze every dollar out of us. What’s a fair price for Lucas? It might be an unpopular opinion but I wouldn’t get into a bidding war for him. Second rowers are one of the easier positions to replace.
 
I love how KP is always linked to somewhere else according the morons in the media. He’s been leaving since the day after he initially signed here according to them.

In reality, this is his 9th season here and in that time he’s come off contract once. That’s it. He signed two long term deals here. The speculation has been just that. Useless journos writing bs for easy clicks. If he was ever going to leave it most likely would’ve been last time. Can’t see why he’d want to now given he never has

I do understand the club holding off however. His injuries are a real problem, I get that. If he comes back and stays healthy the rest of the season, I’d imagine the club would feel a lot better about re-signing him.

The problem is since 2020, only two teams have managed to beat Penrith in Grand Finals. One team had Cameron Smith and the likes of Tino and Nicho on their bench and the other had Walsh and Haas as well as Hunt, Mam, Reynolds and Carrigan. If they’re serious about winning a GF who is beating the Panthers in the next few years without a talent like KP and a lot of depth?

Look at the Sharks, they have a very strong team across the park but no out and out star and they can’t come close to Penrith and probably never will. That’s probably where KP should go if he were to leave actually.

It’s all very well to say we could spend his money on another gun but that’s not reality. Haas is the only forward worth that sort of money and he’s locked up. As for haves, there’s really only Cleary and we’re not getting him. Moses and Hughes will retire where they are so who else are we getting?

We finally have the players around KP to be a realistic shot at a comp in the next 2-3 years. Not getting ahead of myself. Think we’re still a fair way off at the moment. This is assuming the likes of Hopwood and the young forwards pan out as well as hoped.

In my mind, you can’t win a comp without a KP level talent while Penrith are still this good. So I’d probably look at a 3 year deal for KP assuming he can stay healthy the rest of the year. Hopefully they can do something in that time and if not he can leave if he wants

It’s definitely going to be a difficult task balancing the cap with so many players coming off contract. Don’t envy POS
 
I’m not saying you don’t make an offer at all, but so far every time the Ponga’s have come to the negotiating table they’ve had the Knights over a barrel because we've had nothing else going for us. "$1.4m and absolutely none of it in TPA's? Sure Kalyn and Andre, whatever you want!" He was the Knights, both on the field and commercially. That’s not the case anymore. If he wants to be here, that's great. Take a haircut and stick around. If not we've got a pretty good back up plan already locked in long term and could use the $1.4m elsewhere.
 
I love how KP is always linked to somewhere else according the morons in the media. He’s been leaving since the day after he initially signed here according to them.

In reality, this is his 9th season here and in that time he’s come off contract once. That’s it. He signed two long term deals here. The speculation has been just that. Useless journos writing bs for easy clicks. If he was ever going to leave it most likely would’ve been last time. Can’t see why he’d want to now given he never has

I do understand the club holding off however. His injuries are a real problem, I get that. If he comes back and stays healthy the rest of the season, I’d imagine the club would feel a lot better about re-signing him.

The problem is since 2020, only two teams have managed to beat Penrith in Grand Finals. One team had Cameron Smith and the likes of Tino and Nicho on their bench and the other had Walsh and Haas as well as Hunt, Mam, Reynolds and Carrigan. If they’re serious about winning a GF who is beating the Panthers in the next few years without a talent like KP and a lot of depth?

Look at the Sharks, they have a very strong team across the park but no out and out star and they can’t come close to Penrith and probably never will. That’s probably where KP should go if he were to leave actually.

It’s all very well to say we could spend his money on another gun but that’s not reality. Haas is the only forward worth that sort of money and he’s locked up. As for haves, there’s really only Cleary and we’re not getting him. Moses and Hughes will retire where they are so who else are we getting?

We finally have the players around KP to be a realistic shot at a comp in the next 2-3 years. Not getting ahead of myself. Think we’re still a fair way off at the moment. This is assuming the likes of Hopwood and the young forwards pan out as well as hoped.

In my mind, you can’t win a comp without a KP level talent while Penrith are still this good. So I’d probably look at a 3 year deal for KP assuming he can stay healthy the rest of the year. Hopefully they can do something in that time and if not he can leave if he wants

It’s definitely going to be a difficult task balancing the cap with so many players coming off contract. Don’t envy POS

I see your point but the Broncos have never beaten Penrith in a grand final 🙂
 
There’s just no way that figure is true. His agent would be in jail for criminal incompetence
From what I can tell he was on somewhere between 650-800 when he won the premiership last year and it is being bumped up to at least 1 mil from 2026 onwards. Its hard to tell exactly as it doesn't appear to be a public contract yet.

If Walsh is worth 1-1.2 Mil what is Kalyn worth?
 
I’m not saying you don’t make an offer at all, but so far every time the Ponga’s have come to the negotiating table they’ve had the Knights over a barrel because we've had nothing else going for us. "$1.4m and absolutely none of it in TPA's? Sure Kalyn and Andre, whatever you want!" He was the Knights, both on the field and commercially. That’s not the case anymore. If he wants to be here, that's great. Take a haircut and stick around. If not we've got a pretty good back up plan already locked in long term and could use the $1.4m elsewhere.
Agree I wouldn’t be making him the highest paid player in the comp again with his injury history. I think it’s only fair on his part to take a bit less this time around if he wants to stay.

This is all dependent on him remaining healthy this year though for mine. If he has another long term injury this year, I just don’t see any way they can risk him again unfortunately.

Fingers crossed he remains healthy because I’d really just love to see him get a chance to play with good players around him and a good coach finally because I don’t think we’ve ever really seen what he’s truly capable of
 
From what I can tell he was on somewhere between 650-800 when he won the premiership last year and it is being bumped up to at least 1 mil from 2026 onwards. Its hard to tell exactly as it doesn't appear to be a public contract yet.

If Walsh is worth 1-1.2 Mil what is Kalyn worth?
Less. But that doesn't tend to be how it works. Teddy was pretty clearly the best player in the game for a few years and from what I've heard, he paid the Roosters for the privilege of paying for them.
 
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I’m not saying you don’t make an offer at all, but so far every time the Ponga’s have come to the negotiating table they’ve had the Knights over a barrel because we've had nothing else going for us. "$1.4m and absolutely none of it in TPA's? Sure Kalyn and Andre, whatever you want!" He was the Knights, both on the field and commercially. That’s not the case anymore. If he wants to be here, that's great. Take a haircut and stick around. If not we've got a pretty good back up plan already locked in long term and could use the $1.4m elsewhere.

I just don’t see Ponga taking a pay cut. I also don’t think he’ll ask for more than what he’s currently on. Realistically it might come down to letting one of Best or Lucas go to keep Ponga or letting Ponga walk.
 
Less. But that doesn't tend to be how it works. Teddy was pretty clearly the best player in the game for a few years and from what I've heard, he paid the Roosters for the privilege of paying for them.
Broncs got him cheap when he left Warriors for compassionate reason.
I think his upgrade kicked in this year.

We all know he would have got plenty of TPA's on top. Broncos get a bigger salary cap just like the chooks
 
Yeah but they beat them to get there which was tougher than beating Melbourne

If you’re talking about finals games since 2020, Souths are the other team to have beaten Penrith. That side had Blake Taaffe at fullback and Jaxson Paul on the wings, hardly household names.
 
The storm model of paying heavily in the spine for 4 guys has proven to be pretty damn successful. Basically going to the grand final every season.

Part of why they can’t get over the hump in recent years is Hughes and Munster aren’t in their prime anymore, and Paps was very clearly affected by all of his injuries (he lost his speed and played tentatively). This season very clearly missing EKat, among other things.

We have the potential to have Ponga, Brown (in their prime years), and Sharpe (not even in his prime yet), all working together. Ponga showing he can get back to tip top form, despite multiple injuries, where Paps couldn’t.
 
On the flip side, to all of the above, applying Just Score More Tries Mindset to recruitment & retention: What if we just kept everyone? POS is about to hit us with so much Just Keep Them All Mindset it'll make your head spin.

Check this **** out pussies, 2027-8-9 lineup right here:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Dominic Young
3. Wilson de Courcey/Fletcher Hunt/Kingston Seve/Toby Winter/Fletcher Sharpe
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Fletcher Sharpe/Sandon Smith
7. Dylan Brown

13. Marata Niukore
12. Jermaine McEwen
11. Dylan Lucas
10. Cody Hopwood
9. Phoenix Crossland
8. Jacob Saifiti

14. Sandon Smith/Harrison Graham
15. Trey Mooney
16. Mat Croker
17. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana
18. Matthew Hunter
19. Outside back

The threepeat is gonna hit like crack. Hand us the ****ing trophies now PVL you dumb ****. Then go back to ****ing horses or whatever you oaf.
 
On the flip side, to all of the above, applying Just Score More Tries Mindset to recruitment & retention: What if we just kept everyone? POS is about to hit us with so much Just Keep Them All Mindset it'll make your head spin.

Check this **** out pussies, 2027-8-9 lineup right here:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Dominic Young
3. Wilson de Courcey/Fletcher Hunt/Kingston Seve/Toby Winter/Fletcher Sharpe
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Fletcher Sharpe/Sandon Smith
7. Dylan Brown

13. Marata Niukore
12. Jermaine McEwen
11. Dylan Lucas
10. Cody Hopwood
9. Phoenix Crossland
8. Jacob Saifiti

14. Sandon Smith/Harrison Graham
15. Trey Mooney
16. Mat Croker
17. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana
18. Matthew Hunter
19. Outside back

The threepeat is gonna hit like crack. Hand us the ****ing trophies now PVL you dumb ****. Then go back to ****ing horses or whatever you oaf.
So basically this year's side, but healthy and a bit more experience in the young guys. Oh and minus the two warhorses (no disrespect)

I like it.
 
On the flip side, to all of the above, applying Just Score More Tries Mindset to recruitment & retention: What if we just kept everyone? POS is about to hit us with so much Just Keep Them All Mindset it'll make your head spin.

Check this **** out pussies, 2027-8-9 lineup right here:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Dominic Young
3. Wilson de Courcey/Fletcher Hunt/Kingston Seve/Toby Winter/Fletcher Sharpe
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Fletcher Sharpe/Sandon Smith
7. Dylan Brown

13. Marata Niukore
12. Jermaine McEwen
11. Dylan Lucas
10. Cody Hopwood
9. Phoenix Crossland
8. Jacob Saifiti

14. Sandon Smith/Harrison Graham
15. Trey Mooney
16. Mat Croker
17. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana
18. Matthew Hunter
19. Outside back

The threepeat is gonna hit like crack. Hand us the ****ing trophies now PVL you dumb ****. Then go back to ****ing horses or whatever you oaf.
Surely Manulelua gets a go somewhere
 
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