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Opinion
After much ado about nothing, Kalyn Ponga finds himself in a familiar situation this week – outside the Kangaroos, looking in.
Ponga’s omission on Monday from Mal Meninga’s 21-man Australian squad for the Pacific Championships brought to an end a storm in a teacup that, with the benefit of hindsight, need never have eventuated.
Newcastle’s talismanic skipper apparently meant no offence when he announced late last month that he would be unavailable for international selection, preferring instead to freshen up before returning for a full pre-season with the Knights.
But he clearly underestimated the backlash. Criticism from the likes of Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga, ARL chairman Peter V’landys and Hall of Famer Bob McCarthy – combined with the threat of NRL sanctions – prompted an about-face from Ponga, who apologised to Meninga for any unintended disrespect and belatedly declared himself up for selection.
As it panned out, the whole soap opera was an exercise in futility because, judging by Meninga’s comments when unveiling his squad on Monday, Ponga was always likely to be surplus to requirements. If only he’d just kept his head down, nobody would have been any the wiser.
As well as Dylan Edwards, who has displaced James Tedesco as the best fullback in the game, Meninga’s list also includes Tom Trbojevic and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, both of whom are equally capable as the last line of defence, in the centres, or on the wing.
In contrast, Meninga said the selectors considered Ponga a “specialist fullback”.
It’s a reasonable premise. given that the Knights have twice abandoned plans to convert Ponga from a custodian into a pivot, after underwhelming results.
Coach Adam O’Brien has made it clear he has no intention of revisiting that particular project.
In saying that, Queensland coach Billy Slater had no qualms about playing Ponga off the bench, defending in the front line, in this year’s Origin-series decider.
Would Meninga and his co-selectors have been more inclined to cut KP some slack if not for his naive decision and comments last month?
Only those sitting around the table would know for sure. Likewise, was Ponga disappointed, after reconsidering his position, to miss out on a call-up? Or was he ultimately relieved that he can now proceed with Plan A and prepare himself for a breakout 2025 season with Newcastle?
Whatever the case, the bottom line is that Ponga appears no closer to the Kangaroos jersey he once appeared destined to wear many times.
It is now six years since his eye-catching Origin debut for Queensland at the age of 20, and since then he has won a Dally M medal, signed a contract that is reportedly the most lucrative in the NRL, and led the Knights into consecutive play-off series. Ponga, however, appears far from satisfied, after explaining his initial decision to sidestep the Kangaroos by saying: “I want to win a comp, for me anything short of that, isn’t success.
Kalyn Ponga. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
“My focus has never shifted from wanting to win a premiership with the Knights … when I’m done, I want to look back at my career with a positive reflection, including people saying he was a great signing and represented our community to the best of his ability.
“For now, I don’t feel like I have earned that yet, that’s why I have made this decision and will work hard every day to chase those goals.”
The vast majority of Knights fans seem to be backing Ponga 100 per cent. The Novocastrian faithful have, after all, been craving a premiership since the glory days of 2001 and recognise that, in Ponga, they have a player potentially capable of delivering an elusive grand final win.
But getting into a decider is easier said than done. The Knights haven’t qualified in the top four since 2006 and, while they have reached the finals four times in five seasons under O’Brien, they have won only one play-off in that time.
Ponga turns 27 next year, which perhaps explains his sense of urgency as he prepares for his eighth season in Newcastle’s colours. He wants to be remembered not just as a player who entertained and excited fans and earned a lot of money, but as a premiership winner.
By the same token, players are also judged on their careers at interstate and international level. Representative honours are a measuring stick for greatness. Try finding a Hall of Fame inductee whose CV isn’t studded with Test caps.
Ponga’s rep career now amounts to eight Origin appearances for the Maroons over five series. He’s been displaced for the past two campaigns by Reece Walsh – four years his junior – as Queensland’s No.1.
Edwards, meanwhile, is still only 28 and seems to be getting better with each premiership-winning season. It’s hard to imagine he will be in any hurry to relinquish the Test spot he has worked so hard to secure.
The odds appear stacked against Ponga, although he has repeatedly overcome adversity in the past to rebound from injuries and a career-threatening spate of concussions.
It’s a long way to the top, in the immortal words of AC/DC, and Ponga is entitled to believe his best is yet to come. How the rest of his career unfolds remains to be seen, but if and when he is handed his first green-and-gold jersey, it would seem safe to assume he will have at least come close to realising his premiership dream in the process.
In other words, perhaps KP has his priorities in the right order, after all.
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