Kalyn Ponga re-signs with the Knights

slotmachine said:
Whoever negotiated Ponga's second contract on the knights side is a clown. The original deal (which was incredibly generous for an 18 year old kid) was:

2018: 600k/750k (incentives)
2019: 600k/750k (incentives)
2020: 600k/750k (incentives)
2021: 600k/750k (incentives)

The new deal is apparently:

2021: 1.1m
2022: 1.1m
2023: 1.1m (player option)
2024: 1.1m (player option)

So in effect this genius gave Ponga an extra $1.45m to lock him in for 2022 only.
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This says it all.

And we worry about the smooth brains we have on the field.
 
Have to ask but with all this speculation re Ponga contract is any of the above actual fact, has anyone actually seen and read the contract or is it all about the VERY VERY slow off season nonsense that some thrive on suggesting and are sitting back laughing at the comments made by mostly suggested commentators, newshounds and poorly informed fans, chill everyone.
 
Frank McWilliams said:
Have to ask but with all this speculation re Ponga contract is any of the above actual fact, has anyone actually seen and read the contract or is it all about the VERY VERY slow off season nonsense that some thrive on suggesting and are sitting back laughing at the comments made by mostly suggested commentators, newshounds and poorly informed fans, chill everyone.
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Not sure but it’s a whole lot of noise similar to the Pearce early exit that many on here laughed at saying along the lines that the media have no clue and shrugged off until he was all but gone.

Generally where there’s smoke there is fire.
 
Those people mustn't have been very reasonable thinkers then. The moment Pearce got re-signed for 1 year on reduced money after being injured & playing average, that was the signal that his time was coming to a close. Throw the pre-season drama on top. I only really remember the club denying the rumours.
 
The Knights should say (and maybe they have) are you on the bus or not? If Kalyn's on the bus, brilliant, let's plan for the future. If Kalyn is not on the bus, that's ok as well, and we then plan for that future. Surely this can't become an annual circus.
 
Phil Gardner's interview with Barry Toohey covered the speculation and he said they were in constant contact with Kalyn and his family about where he was at in spite of what was in the media. Given it was Phil that signed off on the contract and knowing that he is a shrewd business operator, I'm guessing he has a better handle on this than the media.
 
I feel like the main reaction to talk about Pearce staying or going was a generalised “oh no” every time the club suggested he was still in our long term plans.

Either way, if you’re lowballing a 32 year old past his prime guy with one year deals only at below what he’s been accustomed to being paid, yeah it’s not a shocker if he pisses off. It happened with Adam Reynolds mere months before, who if anything has only gotten better with age and experience, and is playing the best footy of his career. With Pearce we’re talking about a player who was far more reliant on natural athleticism, who was pretty obviously hitting a wall physically this year… even without a ready-made replacement, fighting our asses off to keep him would have been stupid.

Meanwhile Kalyn is arguably the most talented player in the NRL and he’s in theory 2-3 years from his prime. The club will fight like demons to hold onto him. You don’t always succeed, but the fact there’ll actually be an effort on our end makes it likely he’ll stay unless he’s really determined not to for whatever reason.
 
Owey said:
Phil Gardner's interview with Barry Toohey covered the speculation and he said they were in constant contact with Kalyn and his family about where he was at in spite of what was in the media. Given it was Phil that signed off on the contract and knowing that he is a shrewd business operator, I'm guessing he has a better handle on this than the media.
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Shouldn’t need to be in constant contact with him. If he was as shrewd as you say then he wouldn’t give these player options and have him signed till 2024.

He was shrewd in the sense he sold that to you Knights fans but the media have revealed its player options and he hasn’t indicated on taking them yet and instead letting the media have a field day.
 
Owey said:
Phil Gardner's interview with Barry Toohey covered the speculation and he said they were in constant contact with Kalyn and his family about where he was at in spite of what was in the media. Given it was Phil that signed off on the contract and knowing that he is a shrewd business operator, I'm guessing he has a better handle on this than the media.
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He maybe a shrewd operator but is a shrewd football operator huge difference.
 
Lord of the Skraelings said:
He maybe a shrewd operator but is a shrewd football operator huge difference.
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Phil has been a shrewd football operator with wests for a long time and been involved with the Knights for a long time too ... I would say he has all the experience he needs to run the Knights .
 
I tell you who has seen KPs contract, the people at NRL HQ who registered it. And they certainly think there are player options for 2023/24.
Interesting that Fitz and Friz both have options for 2023 too.
 
Unpopular view - Ponga is not worth 1.4 mill and to this point he hasn't been worth 1.1 mill.
If he played every game in 2022 and remained injury free he probably would be worth every penny of 1.1 mill, but we've never got regular match winning performances from him, like fullbacks in the ilk of Turbo, Tedesco, Slater, Papenhousen and even Gutherson have delivered.

I say we offer him 1.1, and if he doesn't take it, we move on and spend 1.1 on 2 Gagai's or a Tom Turbo.
 
cowboyman said:
Shouldn’t need to be in constant contact with him. If he was as shrewd as you say then he wouldn’t give these player options and have him signed till 2024.

He was shrewd in the sense he sold that to you Knights fans but the media have revealed its player options and he hasn’t indicated on taking them yet and instead letting the media have a field day.
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The knights aren't playing everything out in the media these days and really, Ponga hasn't bought in to the speculation either.

I trust Gardner to have his finger on the pulse and have plans in place for Ponga to be here or not be here. I think he is dealing with a transient spirit in Ponga and realises that he is basically a year to year proposition, whether he has options in his contract or not.

Put it this way, I trust Phil more then I would trust a club that is bringing in Chad Townsend and the lesser Leluia (and that's saying something) while burning the clubs future.
 
Billy said:
Unpopular view - Ponga is not worth 1.4 mill and to this point he hasn't been worth 1.1 mill.
If he played every game in 2022 and remained injury free he probably would be worth every penny of 1.1 mill, but we've never got regular match winning performances from him, like fullbacks in the ilk of Turbo, Tedesco, Slater, Papenhousen and even Gutherson have delivered.

I say we offer him 1.1, and if he doesn't take it, we move on and spend 1.1 on 2 Gagai's or a Tom Turbo.
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I'm with you Billy, he has to start delivering, otherwise I'm unfazed by the speculation.
 
Owey said:
The knights aren't playing everything out in the media these days and really, Ponga hasn't bought in to the speculation either.

I trust Gardner to have his finger on the pulse and have plans in place for Ponga to be here or not be here. I think he is dealing with a transient spirit in Ponga and realises that he is basically a year to year proposition, whether he has options in his contract or not.

Put it this way, I trust Phil more then I would trust a club that is bringing in Chad Townsend and the lesser Leluia (and that's saying something) while burning the clubs future.
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That’s not being shrewd then letting your key player be a year to year proposition.

Can bring my mob in it all you like but if Ponga leaves then you’re back down in the cellar dweller years again as well. Leaving that upto him is stupidity especially with the expectation of a new club being brought in for years and it’s now become a reality.
 
If Ponga leaves it will put a dent in our chances for sure.

But we then have over a million to spend in the cap and it will depend on what we get for that money. Plus Pearce money.

We have a forward pack ready to dominate most other packs and a few handy backs to finish the job, we have Clifford who should be in control of our kicking game and putting us in good field position. Just need to use that money to add some attacking class back to the side and I think we come out still ok.
 
cowboyman said:
That’s not being shrewd then letting your key player be a year to year proposition.

Can bring my mob in it all you like but if Ponga leaves then you’re back down in the cellar dweller years again as well. Leaving that upto him is stupidity especially with the expectation of a new club being brought in for years and it’s now become a reality.
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It's up to him either way. Contracts aren't worth jack atm. When he wants out, he will go.

I'm more impressed by the calibre of back room staff we have here now then by having a player with a long highlights reel, yes, but who is yet to mature into the player his price tags demands he is. All put together under wests.

Ponga is developing nicely and has all the talent in the world. I think his attitude so far has been that his price tag makes him a luxury item to the knights and he wants to see a team around him that could win if he is playing well or not. The guys who really earn that sort of price tag are the ones that own the team, throw them on his back and have their hands on the ball when it matters most. And as Billy said, being injury free would help too. If he leaves, we are in a much better position to cover that then when he arrived.
 
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