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Premiership-winning former Newcastle coach Michael Hagan sat in the stands at McDonald Jones Stadium last Sunday watching Kalyn Ponga and thought one thing: Andrew Johns.
“He was doing things last week in that game that wasn’t far off what Andrew Johns used to do,” Hagan says. “Not everyone has that vision and skill that Kalyn’s got.
“His execution of things last week, it was right up there. The confidence, the timing, knowing when to put himself into the game, Joey did that often. Not everyone has that skill set. Kalyn has it.”
Few clubs celebrate their Old Boys’ day better than the Knights. They will do it on Sunday when the club shoots for eight straight wins against Cronulla, who will be without their own superstar, Nicho Hynes.
There was a luncheon on Friday that featured local league royalty, including Hagan, who coached the club to its 2001 premiership, as well as Kurt Gidley, Paul Harragon, Danny Buderus, Mark Sargent and Mark Hughes. Johns missed the event, but will be in town on Sunday.
Where Ponga will sit among the Knights greats once he finishes up, especially if he continues on this tangent? No one will ever match Joey, the eighth immortal, but …
Newcastle ace Kalyn Ponga.Credit: Getty
Knights fans are just happy the man known as “KP” is finally delivering on his price tag and potential – and doing it consistently.
So is coach Adam O’Brien, whose future has not been discussed since his side started its late-season charge up the ladder.
The decision by Ponga to pass on the Queensland Origin team has proven a masterstroke. Not only has it kept Ponga fresh, but it has made the locals appreciate him so much more. That is a big thing in the Hunter. It’s a community club and the fans want their skipper to be part of that community.
Ponga may have underestimated the need to make time for the locals.
Kalyn Ponga meets his young fans.Credit: NRL Photos
“Being captain here is different to being a captain at other clubs,” Hagan says.
“There’s a bit more responsibility if you’re here compared to elsewhere. You need to be more accommodating and in the community more, and only because it’s such a rugby league town.
“He’s been more giving when it comes to the community. You only had to see the amount of kids surrounding him after full-time last week.”
Ponga will be in the thick of everything against the Sharks on Sunday, pretty much like he has since he switched from five-eighth back to his preferred fullback role.
Few will give the Knights much hope of advancing past week one of the finals, if they get that far.
But stranger things have happened. Just ask Laurie Daley, the guest speaker at Friday’s lunch, who recalled how the Raiders needed to win nine games in a row to claim the 1989 title.
Newcastle would likely have to win 13 in a row to lift the silverware. If Ponga is fit and in this form, anything is possible.
There are many similarities between Gidley and Ponga. Two men who played fullback, spent time in the halves and were then elevated to captaincy at a young age – arguably before they were ready.
Gidley always admired champion Knights Harragon, Tony Butterfield, Sam Stewart, Steve Simpson, Buderus and Billy Peden when it came to leadership. He liked the fact Ponga was able to lean on Tyson Frizell, Dane Gagai and the Saifiti brothers.
Knights fans hope the sun does not go down on Kalyn Ponga and Newcastle’s finals charge.
“I felt some empathy for Kalyn because everyone wanted to comment on his career and his health,” Gidley says.
“But the most relieving thing for us Old Boys, and even the fans, is to now see him playing without any fear or any pressure.
“I made the change from one to six and six to one and seven throughout my career. But I love the freedom Kalyn plays with at fullback.
“He’s exciting to watch with his kick returns, when he jumps into dummy half, when he’s going down the short side … fullback is the best position in the game if you like variety and freedom … at fullback, he has absolute freedom to do what he wants.”
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon labelled Ponga, “one of the form players, if not the form player, of the competition”.
“He’s always had an element of class about him, but now he’s got consistency in his footy, and he’s a handful,” Fitzgibbon says.
One of the greatest No.1s of the modern era, Billy Slater, says Ponga looks happy and more comfortable in the captaincy role. Slater was certainly glad the five-eighth experiment was over.
“Kalyn looks happy and simply looks like he’s really enjoying his footy,” Slater says. “Being happy comes with winning and consistent performances, and the Knights are allowing him to play his style of footy.
“Listening to Kalyn talk, he also sounds more comfortable as captain of the Knights.”
In August of last year, Ponga was photographed exiting a toilet cubicle in a pub with Knights teammate Kurt Mann. He had been ruled out for the remainder of the season after another concussion.
Just over 12 months on, a lot has changed for the Knights and their skipper. Ponga has blossomed, on and off the field. The Knights have blossomed, too. Could this be their year?
Cronulla unearth their own star No.1
Sharks coach Fitzgibbon recalls Kade Dykes rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in February. The fullback stocks were already thin with Lachie Miller begrudgingly being given an early release to join Newcastle.
And then the Sharks lost workhorse No.1 Will Kennedy because of a hamstring injury a month ago.
Cronulla ace Connor Tracey has transitioned beautifully into the fullback role.Credit: Getty Images
With their finals hopes on the ropes, up stepped Connor Tracey – and he has been a revelation. In fact, Cronulla have won their past three games with the 27-year-old starting at the back.
“He was going to play in the centres against Penrith, then Ronnie [Mulitalo] got hurt the day before the game, and Connor ended up on the wing,” Fitzgibbon said.
“Then Will went down six minutes into the game, and Connor ended up at fullback.
“To go from centre to wing to fullback, and the fact he’s also capable of playing that utility role … Connor is someone who cares about his footy, works hard and tries to get better each day.”
Tracey was a former playmaker at Souths, whose career looked all but over in 2016 when he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee a third time. He started Googling sportsmen who had returned from multiple knee injuries.
Getting a snapshot of having an NRL career taken away from him has helped shape his outlook on football today.
“I definitely have a different perspective on how things can change, and you can only control what you can control – for a long time I couldn’t control what I was doing,” Tracey said.
“I’m in a good spot this year and my body is finally good.
“My last ACL was five years ago. It’s only been the last two years I don’t think about it. I still do plenty of work in the gym on my knee, but I’m past those demons.”
Cronulla will be without Nicho Hynes for the trip to Newcastle because of a quad strain. He was a noticeable absentee from training on Tuesday.
Fitzgibbon, however, said the Dally M Medal winner would likely return for Sunday week’s final-round clash against Canberra. That game will have a bearing on the make-up of the top eight.
“We’re pretty confident next week,” Fitzgibbon said of Hynes’ return.
“It was just a slight quad injury through training. At this stage of the season, it’s kind of a risky ball game to throw him out there [against Newcastle].
“With a bit more time we might’ve been able to do that, but it’s not worth pushing at this stage of the season, so we’ll take the safest step there.”
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