NRL Casualty Ward: Kalyn Ponga return date; injured Bronco signs new deal

Newcastle superstar Kalyn Ponga has dodged an injury bullet following shoulder surgery. NRL Physio reveals why.

Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga at The Sporting Globe X Pines Brew Pub in Darling Harbour. Picture: Toby Zerna

Kalyn Ponga may be in doubt for Round 1 but the Knights superstar has dodged an injury bullet that could have extended his time on the sidelines as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery.

The Newcastle custodian ruled himself out of the State of Origin series to go undergo shoulder surgery to repair the labrum in his shoulder after he carried the injury through the back end of the 2020 season.

Ponga also had some repairs done to his rotator cuff, which alters his recovery time - the usual return date from such a procedure is 5-6 months and the 22-year old went under the knife on October 16th.

Kalyn Ponga had shoulder surgery in October. Picture: Phil Hillyard

However, because the two surgeries were done in the same operation Ponga will be available to return far earlier.

“Round one obviously would be my aim but I don’t know the extent and what the actual time frame realistically is,” Ponga told The Daily Telegraph.

“I will be having an in-depth conversation with the physios to plan and nut out some goals. Until then I don’t want to put a time frame on it because I don’t really know.

“My shoulder feels all right, obviously it feels a bit sketchy and the movement, flexibility and range isn’t there too much but I’m doing okay,” he said.

“I’ve got a few things to tick off. Obviously there will be steps every week in rehab.

“It will be boring, it will be long, it will be hard but it will be worth it. It feels much better now compared to four weeks ago when I was in bed on pain killers.”

Tex Hoy is likely to replace Ponga for round 1. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

Brien Seeney of NRL Physio reinforced just how important the dual surgeries were for Ponga’s earlier-than-expected return.

“Requiring a single surgical procedure to reconstruct and repair his labrum and rotator cuff is positive for Ponga’s recovery time,”

“Occasionally when damage that extensive is present within the shoulder repairs need to be done over 2 procedures, usually at least a month apart.

“The month waiting between surgeries results in slow early rehab progress and a delayed return to play.

“Kieran Foran was a recent example during the 2020 season, returning seven months after two surgical procedures to repair and stabilise his shoulder.”

Newcastle begin their season against Canterbury on March 12th, almost five months to the day after Ponga’s surgery.

Kieran Foran leaves the field with a shoulder injury. Picture: Grant Trouville/NRL Photos

Even if Ponga is not fit for Round 1 he’s unlikely to miss a significant part of the opening stages of the season.

To compare, Canberra skipper Jarrod Croker underwent surgery for the same injury two weeks after Ponga and is currently estimated to return in Round 4.

If Ponga was to miss the season opener, impressive youngster Tex Hoy would be his replacement.

The 21-year old filled in for Ponga on occasions through 2020 with his speed and support play catching the eye.

Broncos enforcer inks new two-year deal

Tully tearaway Tom Flegler has declared he will be fit to line up for the Broncos in Round 1 as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery.

It comes as the 21-year-old officially re-signed with the club on Tuesday, vowing to spearhead the Broncos 2021 campaign and become a forward pack leader to the largely inexperienced squad.

As revealed by The Courier-Mail last month, Flegler knocked back mega offers from Sydney clubs to stay loyal to the Broncos and remain at Red Hill until the end of 2023.

Tom Flegler at Broncos at Red Hill. Photo: Annette Dew

He said the new regime under Kevin Walters had sparked fresh energy into the playing group following their torrid 2020 season.

“There’s been a whole new feel around the club,” Flegler said.

“I’ve been in rehab so I don’t do a lot of team activities but the boys are really happy with how everything is going.

“The feel around the club is a lot more energetic than last year.

“I’m confident there’s a bright future.

“We’ve got a good coaching staff and good team so we’re building towards a good 2021 season.”

The prop forward had his 2020 season cut short after having to undergo shoulder surgery in August to repair his glenohumeral ligament.

It was the young gun’s third shoulder reconstruction in his early NRL career, raising concerns about his long-term prospects.

The 108kg bookend said he was “halfway” through his rehabilitation but was confident he would be ready to line up in Round 1 next year.

“The shoulder is coming good,” he said.

“I’m still in the progression stage, taking it week-by-week.

“I’m about halfway through my rehab so hopefully I’ll be back to full contact some time after Christmas.”

With the loss of forwards David Fifita and Joe Ofahengaue this year, Flegler also admitted he wanted to help guide the next wave of talent coming into the Brisbane engine room.

“I would love to be a leader at this club,” he said.

“Everyone talks about how young our forward pack is but we don’t look at it that way.

“Everyone’s human at the end of the day so we go out there and do our thing to make an impact every week.

“We’re working towards a fresh start and I believe we have the team here to get great results.”

Originally published as NRL Casualty Ward: Kalyn Ponga return date; injured Bronco signs new deal