Knights boss Peter Parr admits Newcastle may struggle to keep Kalyn Ponga

Newcastle boss Peter Parr has conceded the Knights face a battle to retain Maroons star Kalyn Ponga, as the Bears prepare a potential poaching raid to make him the face of Perth rugby league.

Newcastle boss Peter Parr concedes the Knights face a battle to retain Queensland Origin star Kalyn Ponga in the face of a potential poaching raid from Mal Meninga’s Perth Bears.

Meninga will begin building his maiden Bears roster from November 1 and a prime target will be Ponga, who was born in Western Australia – making the Dally M winner the ideal poster boy for a Perth team.

The Knights were rocked last week by reports that Ponga had engaged a third-party to explore options in rugby union amid fears he could embark on a code switch to one day represent the All Blacks.

But Newcastle bosses believe a bigger threat exists in the NRL, with Ponga set to receive monster offers from the Perth and Papua New Guinea franchises ahead of their entry to the big league in 2027 and 2028 respectively.

The Knights admit they may face a battle to keep Kalyn Ponga long-term. Picture: Getty Images

Ponga is contracted to the Knights until the end of 2027 and would require an early release from Newcastle to be the foundation face of a Perth team.

Meninga told this masthead he will be chasing the biggest names in the game and Parr admits Perth – not New Zealand rugby – could be the real threat to keeping the Maroons fullback in Newcastle.

“There’s no doubt with the introduction of the new teams that Kalyn would be a target, especially for a Perth team,” Parr said.

“He would be a great marquee signing for a new franchise, but I don’t know what the future holds.

“The person who would have a major say in whether Kalyn left early would be me and that won’t be happening. He is here for the next two years.

“We will do what we can to keep Kalyn at the club, but we’re not naive enough to think that he won’t be attractive to a start-up club like Perth or indeed any other NRL club.”

Knights boss Peter Parr believes Kalyn Ponga will be a major target for new expansion teams. Picture: NRL Imagery

As revealed by this masthead last month, Ponga has fielded interest from overseas rugby clubs in France and England, while he has repeatedly been linked with New Zealand rugby because of his Kiwi heritage.

But the Knights believe the 27-year-old is reluctant to quit the NRL, which opens the door for Perth and PNG to blow Newcastle out of the water with offers in excess of $1.5 million a season.

NRL players with links to Perth are rare and that makes Ponga, born in Port Hedland, the perfect promotional target for a Bears club that will be desperate for a big-name marquee signing.

Even if the Knights refused to grant Ponga an early release, he would be available for the Perth Bears second season in 2028, by which time PNG will also enter the market armed with tax-free dollars.

Parr says it’s Newcastle’s preference to secure Ponga to an extended deal, but accepts Meninga’s Bears will be circling the Knights skipper, who could earn up to $2 million with a Perth team.

The Maroons star has links to Perth, being born in Port Hedland. Picture: Getty Images

“Our preferred option is to keep Kalyn long-term but with the advent of new teams, I don’t think anybody can predict what might happen with the player market,” he said.

“I can’t speak for how Kalyn feels about rugby.

“In 2028, there will be a new broadcast deal in place and a new salary cap.

“Kalyn can’t negotiate until November next year, so time is on the side of both us and Kalyn.

“Whenever Kalyn comes off contract, my expectation is he will be in demand, whether that’s NRL clubs, new franchises in the NRL or rugby union.

“Someone with his talent will always attract attention.”

Asked in March, on the eve of round 1, if he had shut the door on rugby, Ponga said: “I don’t know.

“I have things I want to achieve first in the NRL, like winning a premiership, and it will all depend on that.

“To be honest, I don’t know if I could even pick the game up again.

“I haven’t watched a union game in about 10 years. I played it as a junior and I enjoyed it, but it would be interesting to see if I could do it.

“I don’t even know what position I would play.

“It’d be a massive adjustment, but it would be a great challenge.”

Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga has admitted players like Ponga are on his radar. Picture: Getty Images

Meninga said NRL stars such as Ponga and Broncos flyer Selwyn Cobbo, who has signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins for 2026, are on his radar.

“We’ll be talking to everyone available on the market with my recruitment guy and head of footy,” he said.

“That’s part of my role – to get a good footy team together and be competitive from day one.

“I know that’s a challenge, so you’ve got to talk to the best players.

“We’ll make sure that we don’t leave any stone unturned.”

Originally published as Knights boss Peter Parr admits Newcastle may struggle to keep Kalyn Ponga