Kalyn Ponga discussion

[Rupert Murdoch]

I thought Ponga was very poor today. He is one the highest, if not the highest paid player in the NRL. Are we getting our monies worth? If he is on the reported 1.4 million per season, did we get $51 852 worth of play out of him today? No. His effort just wasn't there. I was very pleased when we signed him, when we resigned him, but right now I think he's in cruise mode. I've heard him say in interviews he doesn't watch the other games where as Cleary and many others study all the games. I'm starting to think like some have commented that the amount of money could be spent on a few quality players instead. Sharpe is capable of doing everything that KP is doing at the moment cause those magic KP moments are few and far between. As has been said elsewhere his four injury wasn't an issue in the Qld camp. I think it's a lack of interest.

Can't really blame him If he has Indeed lost Interest.

Being paid $1,400,000 and you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel for a premiership why would you risk going alm out for and putting yourself In harms way to a career ending Injury.

6 months ago, I would be spewing about Pongas performances but now I honestly don't give a ****e.

Can't really see the team making It to a Premiership anytime soon and I think Ponga has seen the writing on the wall.

Keep giving the minimum and cash those cheques mate, It takes two to tango and the Knights as usual tangoed their own asses with the way they handled things both off and on the field.

It Isn't just Ponga's contract I am talking about either.

 

[Newygirl]

Did you watch origin? He was completely gassed after about 5 minutes. He’s nowhere near he’s normal level of fitness. Hardly surprising after being out for 3 months with a foot injury.

I like Sharpe a lot, he’s doing great for a young guy but if you think he comes close to being able to replicate KP at his best, I really don’t know what you’re watching.

Say he goes somewhere else. (I would if I was him)
Who are spending all that money on? Which star player is coming to play with Gamble, Crossland etc
With a coach that rotates the halves every two weeks.
The Knights are a joke to most other fans and most likely other players as well. I’m actually amazed they’ve managed to keep KP.

No top spine player is coming here. They’d want much more than KP is on to even consider it. So who are you spending the all this money on?

Unless you go the route of a young guy like Pezet, best case is maybe a Trindall and if we’re paying Hastings $800k he’d probably get more.

Looks like we’re even struggling to re-sign Leo and no doubt we’ll have to pay overs for him too.

 

[Sarge]

Also mounting evidence to suggest the collective performance is greater when they’re not all waiting on KP. I’m a big fan. But that money could be better spent on balancing the team when the contract is up (not that I think he would sign on again). We need another couple of outright stars and a decent coach to make KP click IMO.

Would be hard to keep motivated when you are widely recognised as one of the best attacking players in the league & your coach is a proponent of getting in the grind ( which we can't do anyway ) & playing ugly . Honestly don't know Ponga sticks around

 

[bremsstrahlung]

I noticed a pattern earlier in the season where we gave him HEAPS of ball early. He was basically first receiver or the focal point each and every set.

Then, we don’t give him any ball for the middle 40. Then we give him ball again as we try to get back into the game.
I’m not sure if that’s a tactic. Or if that’s an on field decision from Hastings/halves to avoid him.

There doesn’t appear to be any plan to get the best out of him. It’s just hoping that if we give him the ball, he will do something.

We deadset should be practicing shape plays on the left with Ponga. We should be carving teams up or leaving them scrambling. But it’s so damn slow.

 

[HarVeeGee13]

He was coming up with two line breaks on kick returns pretty much every game earlier this year till he hurt his foot, looked primed for his best season ever individually. He played through the pain of a severe hip injury and almost won us that game single handedly at the death. Did he just decide he didn’t care in the intervening time, or did he get hit by a notoriously tough injury to recover from? (After, I note, coming back from said injury ahead of schedule, likely due to a huge effort to rehab it)

Come on guys. Please cast your mind back further than whatever the very last thing you saw was (Newygirl excepted from this).

 

[Tim]

I think it's 2 things:

1. He's still getting his match fitness up, and confidence for that matter. This might take another few games

2. The game plan we have currently isn't playing to his strengths. We should be looking to set up plays to get him in the situations where he can use his skills best.

I certainly rate the guy, and don't want him going anywhere. I just feel like he's a Ferrari in the garage atm that we are to scared to take out.

 

[jamesgould]

He’s had 4 try assists compared to 21 last year, in 10 games this year compared to 20 last season. I think that’s where people are questioning his involvement from what I’ve seen in this thread (well, those I pay attention to), not his running game, which is understandably affected by the injury. And try assists will be too, but that involvement didn’t quite seem to be there at the start of the season for me either. I think it was the Warriors game where he was really quiet, but got 6 Dally M points?

 

[JOJO82]

Let's face it, for us to get our moneys worth out of KP we need the coach gone. His style of play doesn't suit us at all, we cannot grind out teams.

We have the worst attack in the NRL from having the best attack last year.

For me AOB should be paid out and Hastings needs to be told see ya later.

 

[HarVeeGee13]

He’s had 4 try assists compared to 21 last year, in 10 games this year compared to 20 last season. I think that’s where people are questioning his involvement from what I’ve seen in this thread (well, those I pay attention to), not his running game, which is understandably affected by the injury. And try assists will be too, but that involvement didn’t quite seem to be there at the start of the season for me either. I think it was the Warriors game where he was really quiet, but got 6 Dally M points?

It’s all connected though. The threat of his running game unlocks his passing. He throws more money balls when he’s fed the ball in a timely fashion when the opposing team has a prop stuck at A defender on the short side, or he’s got a lot of space on a four on four after a big spread, or whatever other opportunities he would usually hunt for.

The lead up work to get the ball to him was truly dire before his injury, which was a big part of why he ended up getting into first receiver a lot, no one else was making anything happen (although I do wonder if yet again AOB was trying to get him to play like a prime James Tedesco, rather than just having him do the stuff he’s already way better than everyone else at).

 

[jamesgould]

It’s all connected though. The threat of his running game unlocks his passing. He throws more money balls when he’s fed the ball in a timely fashion when the opposing team has a prop stuck at A defender on the short side, or he’s got a lot of space on a four on four after a big spread, or whatever other opportunities he would usually hunt for.

The lead up work to get the ball to him was truly dire before his injury, which was a big part of why he ended up getting into first receiver a lot, no one else was making anything happen (although I do wonder if yet again AOB was trying to get him to play like a prime James Tedesco, rather than just having him do the stuff he’s already way better than everyone else at).

Totally, and since he’s come back we saw that game where Crossland flat out refused to pass to him several times, too. Forwards and halves were both not firing at the start of the season, which didn’t help him at all.

 

[Sarge]

I noticed a pattern earlier in the season where we gave him HEAPS of ball early. He was basically first receiver or the focal point each and every set.

Then, we don’t give him any ball for the middle 40. Then we give him ball again as we try to get back into the game.
I’m not sure if that’s a tactic. Or if that’s an on field decision from Hastings/halves to avoid him.

There doesn’t appear to be any plan to get the best out of him. It’s just hoping that if we give him the ball, he will do something.

We deadset should be practicing shape plays on the left with Ponga. We should be carving teams up or leaving them scrambling. But it’s so damn slow.

Yep can't remember what game it was a few weeks back Ponga wanted the ball , tv commenters were calling it , Hasting kept throwing it back inside to a forward . Looked like Hastings was avoiding him . Think Hastings likes to think of himself as the main man . Hope he enjoys lock in reserve grade to the end of the season & leaves

 

[Newygirl]

People obviously thought he was doing something well because after only playing 9 games he’s still sitting fourth (MSKOTW) Doesn’t say much for most of the others.

The reality is we’ve scored less points than everyone else including the Tigers.
Also we’re much closer for wins to them, than we are the storm. So I’d suggest there’s a bigger problem than KPs pay. Walsh is about to be paid the same, and Turbo is similar and he plays less than KP.

 

[Defence wins games]

I noticed a pattern earlier in the season where we gave him HEAPS of ball early. He was basically first receiver or the focal point each and every set.

Then, we don’t give him any ball for the middle 40. Then we give him ball again as we try to get back into the game.
I’m not sure if that’s a tactic. Or if that’s an on field decision from Hastings/halves to avoid him.

There doesn’t appear to be any plan to get the best out of him. It’s just hoping that if we give him the ball, he will do something.

We deadset should be practicing shape plays on the left with Ponga. We should be carving teams up or leaving them scrambling. But it’s so damn slow.

And that only happens with plenty of repetitions, which obviously isn’t happening at the Knights. At times, it looks like the team hasn’t trained together at all, are incredibly slow (but not last 10 games of 23) or are trying to play to a plan that doesn’t suit them.

 

[mozza]

He’s always a slow starter coming back off long term injuries. That’s if he’s 100% which I’m not convinced he is.
Expecting a big from him this weekend to hopefully kick start a good finish to the year.

 

[Kurriboy]

You can't point to last year and go well look at how well he did then vs this year. The team went on a 10 game winning streak which is going to generate better numbers for him.

You will find if the club turned their form around, KP's numbers would look more like last year again.

Last game he was criticised for not getting involved. But we don't really want KP one out rucking it up the guts, we want him getting involved in good ball situations where there is something on.

Last game we spent most of it in the grind just getting through our set and kicking. We don't spread the ball wide early in the tackle count and attempt to expose their edges, there is very little KP can get involved in for most of our sets.

KP's drop in form is just another symptom of the teams poor performance this year, and the boat anchor we have as a coach who can't generate any game plan but ruck it up and kick to the corners.

 

[Beatell]

You can't point to last year and go well look at how well he did then vs this year. The team went on a 10 game winning streak which is going to generate better numbers for him.

You will find if the club turned their form around, KP's numbers would look more like last year again.

Last game he was criticised for not getting involved. But we don't really want KP one out rucking it up the guts, we want him getting involved in good ball situations where there is something on.

Last game we spent most of it in the grind just getting through our set and kicking. We don't spread the ball wide early in the tackle count and attempt to expose their edges, there is very little KP can get involved in for most of our sets.

KP's drop in form is just another symptom of the teams poor performance this year, and the boat anchor we have as a coach who can't generate any game plan but ruck it up and kick to the corners.

I actually do want him getting and taking the rucks up the guts - similar to Edwards, he should also be looking for the outside inside ball off the ruck. (he can do it in Origin he can do it for us)
He cant just be a good ball runner when weve had a good ruck of go forward (rarely occurs i know), he is our most dynamic player and should be placing himself into the action at every opportunity.

 

[Sarge]

I actually do want him getting and taking the rucks up the guts - similar to Edwards, he should also be looking for the outside inside ball off the ruck. (he can do it in Origin he can do it for us)
He cant just be a good ball runner when weve had a good ruck of go forward (rarely occurs i know), he is our most dynamic player and should be placing himself into the action at every opportunity.

Yep glad you clarified that go forward

 

[Kurriboy]

I actually do want him getting and taking the rucks up the guts - similar to Edwards, he should also be looking for the outside inside ball off the ruck. (he can do it in Origin he can do it for us)
He cant just be a good ball runner when weve had a good ruck of go forward (rarely occurs i know), he is our most dynamic player and should be placing himself into the action at every opportunity.

Can't say I agree with the rucks up the guts. That isn't how you get the best from Ponga. That would shorten his career.

Certainly not against taking the inside ball off ther ruck and attacking in behind the play the ball but I'd rather a mobile 2rf run that line like Frizell.

Ponga should be pushing up supporting Frizell in that instance.

He doesn't need to be a good ball runner only, but we have to work him in to a position of opportunity, not just as a battering ram.

 

[Defence wins games]

Can't say I agree with the rucks up the guts. That isn't how you get the best from Ponga. That would shorten his career.

Certainly not against taking the inside ball off ther ruck and attacking in behind the play the ball but I'd rather a mobile 2rf run that line like Frizell.

Ponga should be pushing up supporting Frizell in that instance.

He doesn't need to be a good ball runner only, but we have to work him in to a position of opportunity, not just as a battering ram.

But just watch the coaches use him so inappropriately, again in a bone headed style.
Remember how they were using Bradman Best as a battering ram until someone followed Joey’s suggestion from years ago to get Bradman with good ball?
I think that was when we went on the 10 game winning streak.
I am completely gutted how the Knights 2024 version have been coached this year.
Words escape many on this forum about our current coaching “plans”.