‘Don’t fight’: Frenzy erupts after Kalyn Ponga bombshell

The rumour mill has gone into overdrive after reports about Kalyn Ponga rocked the Knights on Monday night.

Newcastle have been advised to let Kalyn Ponga walk out on the club after bombshell reports emerged on Monday night.

The superstar fullback is seriously considering asking for a release from the Knights after becoming fed up with the direction of the club.

The NRL is in crisis with reports emerging on Monday sections of the club are considering dropping the axe on coach Adam O’Brien at the end of the season.

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As reported by The Australian’s Brent Read on Fox League’s NRL 360, the 27-year-old has engaged the services of a New Zealand rugby union agent as he weighs up leaving the Hunter.

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Ponga is contracted to the Knights until the end of 2027 on a $1.4 million per-season deal.

However, reports suggest the fullback is potentially willing to leave $2.8m on the table by exiting at the end of the season as he feels that he is wasting his prime years at the club.

Kalyn Ponga is reportedly considering asking for a release. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images)

If Ponga were to stay, Newcastle has $2.8m of its salary cap going towards two players from next season, with Eels star Dylan Brown set to arrive next year on the same salary as the Knights No. 1.

It’s one of several reasons the club has now been told it is better off without the Queenslander.

Panthers cult hero Scott Sattler suggested the club may decide it is better off using the salary cap void Ponga would leave behind him to boost their recruitment.

“When you weigh up injury wise, and games on field, and from a salary cap perspective, it would also make sense to entertain the idea,” Sattler said on SEN Queensland.

“If that’s the way they need to go and leave a lot of money left in their salary cap to try and go and explore other options. It makes sense.”

Sattler said the other option for Ponga would be the Perth Bears when they enter the competition in 2027.

“I’ve heard that he’s very frustrated (and) a number of players are very frustrated,” he said.

“There’s not pure alignment when it comes to all the coaches and are they all on the same page.

Kalyn Ponga of the Knights makes a hit up. Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images.

“Some players will… go and get advice from other coaches, and that’s not ideal. I hope this doesn’t happen, but you’ve gotta probably realise that if Kalyn doesn’t want to be there anymore at Newcastle, the only club that could really afford him will be Perth at the end of next year. And whether he’s willing to stay in Newcastle for another year, I’m not quite sure.”

Leading rugby league reporter Dave Riccio said on SEN Breakfast he also would not fight to keep Ponga at the club if he were in the Knights’ shoes, highlighting Ponga’s track record of injuries that have ruined his recent seasons.

“For what you’re paying him and what you’re getting out of him on the field, it’s not stacking up,” Riccio said.

“Here we are in this season, 13 games, season over for Kalyn Ponga. Another injury.

“I don’t fight for him. I don’t go there. There’s more areas of concern for me than fullback given there is Fletcher Sharp coming through.”

If he is to go, Sharpe would likely move to fullback, opening the door for the Knights to pursue a new half to partner Dylan Brown.

Ponga, born in Australia to Kiwi parents, has previously voiced his desire to one day represent the All Blacks, and rather than head to another NRL team could make the switch to the 15-man code instead.

In an earlier interview with TMZ, the superstar made it known his family desired to see him represent New Zealand and the fullback admitted to being torn about which nation to pledge his allegiance to at the end of last year.

If he were to move to rugby at the end of this year it would also give him a chance of fulfilling his dream of playing for the All Blacks.

Ponga would have the 2026 season to get up to speed before the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.

Kalyn Ponga reportedly feels he is wasting his prime in Newcastle. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

And speaking on NRL 360, journalist Brent Read revealed his agent has been “shopping” Ponga to European rugby clubs.

“He’s contracted with the Knights until the end of 2027. But, an agent, a New Zealand-based agent, rugby union agent, has been shopping Kalyn around Europe,” Reid said on Monday night.

“Now, I’ve been in contact with the Ponga camp today and I didn’t really get a straight answer out of them.

“But what I’ve gleaned from their text messages is if he’s being shopped around Europe, it’s being done without them giving the agent the green light.

“That’s what’s happening at the moment with Kalyn Ponga, he’s being shopped, his name’s been mentioned by this rebel rugby competition that’s going on at the moment so he is on the radar of rugby union clubs.”

Knights coach Adam O'Brien is reportedly set to be sacked at the end of 2025 if the Knights miss the finals (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)

NRL icon Phil Gould on Monday night, however, said Ponga’s possible exit would be a huge blow for the club.

“I think it’s a huge loss for the game to have a superstar walk out on the game and go to rugby like that,” he said on Channel 9.

“And a huge loss for the Newcastle Knights. I don’t know what that says about the Knights at the moment. Kalyn’s obviously thinking about his future if he’s unhappy where he is at the moment and worrying that the best of his prime years are wasting away with a team struggling but from a game’s perspective I think it would be really disappointing if we lost one of our game’s superstars who was only a Dally M medallist a couple of years ago.”

The news around Ponga comes amid another report that suggests Adam O’Brien could be sacked at the end of the season.

O’Brien had a clause triggered in his deal that extended his stay until the end of 2027 after he finished in the top 12 last season.

But even the hefty payout the Knights will have to cough up reportedly is not enough to save his job, with his six-year tenure at the club appearing to be all but over.

SMH reports that unless O’Brien leads the Knights to finals footy in 2025 – which is incredibly unlikely – he will be given his marching orders.

Assistant coach Blake Green would be an obvious replacement.

Queensland assistant Josh Hannay and former Eels coach Brad Arthur are also believed to be leading contenders for the Newcastle top job if O’Brien is given the boot.

Originally published as ‘Don’t fight’: Frenzy erupts after Kalyn Ponga bombshell