Matthew Johns says Kalyn Ponga will justify every cent of his $3 million deal with Newcastle

FIND out how the Newcastle Knights landed Kalyn Ponga and which club legend is backing the Cowboys phenom to star in the Hunter.

Cowboys training from 1300 Smiles Stadium. Kalyn Ponga. Picture: Zak Simmonds

KNIGHTS legend Matthew Johns is the secret weapon that delivered Kalyn Ponga to Newcastle and declared the Cowboys whiz-kid would justify every cent of his $3 million prize tag.

North Queensland’s succession plan for Johnathan Thurston suffered a crushing blow last November when Ponga stunned the club by inking a big-money deal with the Knights.

As Ponga prepares to face his future employer on Saturday night, Johns has emerged as a key plank in Newcastle’s poaching raid, revealing he spruiked the attraction of the Knights in a conversation with Ponga’s father Andre.

“I didn’t speak to Kalyn personally, but I had a good chat with his old man,” said Johns, the former NSW and Test playmaker.

Ponga has shown flashes of his immense talent this season.

“I told him that Newcastle is a great city, it’s a place for families and I also told him that the people of Newcastle would look after Kalyn and get behind him.

“I said when the Knights started to win football games and started to make finals series, it’s one of the best cities you can play football at because the town is right behind you.

“I have no concerns at all about Kalyn’s ability to make it in the NRL.

“The Knights had to pay ‘overs’ but the kid will justify it. The Knights needed someone to come and turn things around and attract other players and Kalyn is the bloke to do that.”

The Cowboys are making a concerted effort to ease the strain on Ponga ahead of his showdown with the Knights.

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The 19-year-old was scheduled to speak to the media this week but the Cowboys yesterday gagged him to ensure Ponga, who will play fullback, focuses solely on his preparation.

Ponga has had mixed success in the first six games of his NRL career but Johns believes the teenage ace could prove to be the best buy in Newcastle’s 29-year history.

“He will be sensational,” Johns said.

“Newcastle have signed some beauties but Kalyn could be the best one yet, absolutely.

“He is a unique talent. He is the closest thing to Benji Marshall when he first burst on to the scene a decade ago. I see a lot of Benji with his ability to move and step. When he gets to Newcastle he will be doing a fair bit of everything, including playmaking.

“I think fullback is his spot, the way the game is going the fullback is playing like a five-eighth now, look at the way Billy Slater (Storm custodian) has changed his game.

The Knights will have Ponga from 2018 onwards.

“Playing fullback means Kalyn doesn’t have to be in the frontline getting targeted. You don’t want a bloke with his special attacking talents making 40 tackles a game.

“He will make all the difference to the Knights.”

Former Test fullback Gary Belcher says Cowboys coach Paul Green has done Ponga a favour by refusing to release him to Newcastle this season.

“Mentally it would have been a difficult year for Kalyn at the Knights compared to the Cowboys who are a chance of winning the title,” Belcher said.

“Ponga will make it for sure in first grade, I have no doubt at all.

“He has great movement, he reads a game well and gets himself into slots where he can draw the man outside him and put his man into a bit of space. He’s a super talent.”

Originally published as Matthew Johns says Kalyn Ponga will justify every cent of his $3 million deal with Newcastle