Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga avoids Phil Gould roasting - his teammates didn’t

Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga has avoided unwanted scrutiny levelled at Newcastle - the same can’t be said for his teammates.

The Knights have the bye this weekend. NRL Imagery

Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga has avoided unwanted scrutiny levelled at Newcastle by staying at home to train instead of joining some teammates on an overseas holiday.

With the club languishing in 14th-position, the Knights coaching staff have been taken to task by Bulldogs GM of football Phil Gould for using the club’s bye weekend of Magic Round as a chance to take eight days off.

The Daily Telegraph has learned the Knights coaching staff originally made the call in the pre-season to give the players an extended break following the opening nine rounds.

Some Newcastle players travelled to tourist hot spots such as Bali, interstate or took a break with family along the NSW coast.

Ponga wasn’t one of them, preferring to stay in Newcastle to continue training.

The decision by some Knights players to go to Bali - it is understood it was only a minority - has now prompted backlash from Gould, who used his role as a commentator with the Nine Network to criticise the decision.

“It wouldn’t happen in my day,” Gould said.

The Knights sit 14th and were humiliated by the Eels

“I’d always use the bye round... for me that was always a time to go back and refresh, to look at some things that maybe we’re not doing as well as we would have liked, or maybe there’s some things we can add to our game, or maybe we need a refresher course.

“For me the benefit of the bye was not getting busted on the weekend, was not going out. It gave you two weeks to get ready for your next game instead of one week.

“It just wouldn’t have happened in my day. For me, it was two weeks to get ready for your next game, and you shouldn’t lose if you had the two weeks to get ready.”

The Knights players are due back on Monday after leaking seven tries against Parramatta last week in a 43-12 humiliation.

They missed a staggering 44 tackles and conceded 15 linebreaks — 10 of those alone in the first half.

Newcastle head coach Adam O’Brien hinted in the post-match press conference that his players were in desperate need of respite.

“We need this bye, it’s been a long campaign,” O’Brien said.

Gould did admit the decision to give his players a leave pass could be what the Knights players require.

Phil Gould didn’t hold back in his views on the Knights

“It might turn out to be the best thing, getting over there with some warm weather and sun on their backs. It might be the answer, I don’t know. And if they come back (and win) they will say it is the answer,’’ Gould said.

“But there’s three byes this year, you do it three times I guarantee it’s not going to help you.

“Maybe (O’Brien) thought after what he said after the (Eels loss), maybe they’re a bit busted.

“It’s a time to replenish, to treat your injuries, to get ready for the following week, and it’s a refresher course.

“I remember when I was a player and we had byes, (coach) Warren Ryan used to flog us. It puts steel in your team, it puts steel in your attitude.

“You are paid to train and play, that’s what you are paid to do. Find something else to do, find another job if you don’t want this job.”

In the Newcastle players’ defence, they were encouraged to use the time to recharge their batteries after being flogged in the pre-season.

The decision by a handful to head to Bali has now come under the microscope thanks to Gould, although they aren’t the first players to head to Indonesia to escape the NRL season.

Last year, Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary jetted off to Bali as soon as his State of Origin commitments were completed with the NSW Blues.

Originally published as Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga avoids Phil Gould roasting - his teammates didn’t