Kalyn Ponga learns a lesson after thickshake comment goes down poorly
Kalyn Ponga says Nathan Brown knows there was nothing disrespectful in his “strawberry thickshake” comment — but the Knights star admits he has learned a painful lesson this week.
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Newcastle superstar Kalyn Ponga says he got the “strawberry thickshake” comment wrong but hit out at suggestions he had fallen out with former coach Nathan Brown.
Ponga broke his silence on Fox League last night, admitting even his mum had given him a “razzing” for his flippant comments in the wake of Brown’s decision to leave Newcastle.
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Ponga attracted criticism for his blase response to Nathan Brown’s sacking last week when he said “I was at lunch having a nice strawberry thickshake, so I wasn’t too upset.”
“I can understand obviously the way it came across,” Ponga said. “I spoke to Browny before that interview. He addressed the playing group. He said don’t make it a big deal. He had come to terms with it. He was positive in the way he addressed us.
“Me being me, I came out and made that comment probably at the wrong time at the wrong moment. It’s been taken a bit out of perspective.
“Browny has done a lot for me. After that interview I spoke to him again. He addressed me (saying) ‘look kid I understand our relationship’. He has been awesome to me, my family. His family is also very close to me.
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“He knew it wasn’t disrespectful but that’s the way it came across. Personally it’s been a learning curve. I’ve learnt a lot the past few days.
“When you’re questioned about your playing ability and the way you play I can cop that. When you get questioned about your integrity, who you are as a person it doesn’t only affects you but also your parents.
“My mum and dad were pretty disappointed. My mum razzed me a couple of times which is fair. They know what I’m like as well and they know that whatever I say I never mean to be disrespectful to anyone. That’s just who I am. At the end of the day, they knew that.”
Ponga claimed Brown “never lost the group” despite the limp performance against the Wests Tigers last Saturday night. He said the playing group had addressed the poor showing which led to Brown’s immediate departure.
“We were disappointed with the game,” Ponga said. “A lot of questions not a lot of answers to that performance.
“I haven’t been exposed to anything like this.”
Ponga described interim coach Kristian Woolf as a “man’s man.”