NRL 2024: Allianz Stadium flood disaster fixed, Andrew Johns names Kalyn Ponga as Knights’ best ever recruit | Sport Confidential
Allianz Stadium resembled a swamp last month, but the comeback from a flooding disaster is complete ahead of this weekend’s finals double header. See the full SPORT CONFIDENTIAL.
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Allianz Stadium’s comeback from last month’s flooding disaster is complete with the ground in pristine condition for this weekend’s finals double header.
Stadium groundskeepers have worked overtime on the surface since the Sydney Roosters and Parramatta were drenched last month.
Sport Con obtaining exclusive images of the heat lamps used to ensure the surface is in tip-top condition for games on Friday and Saturday night.
It is understood the surface will also undergo a complete renovation next month with the surface to be ripped up and replaced before the A League season gets underway.
JOEY’S SHOCK TAKE ON NEWCASTLE GREAT
Kalyn Ponga’s blistering performance in a losing side in Townsville has won him the ultimate accolade after Knights legend Andrew Johns claimed he had surpassed Ben Kennedy as the greatest signing in Newcastle history.
Ponga put on an exhibition against North Queensland last weekend, almost inspiring an upset on the opening weekend of the finals as the Knights gave the home side the fright of their life at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
An intercept and a dropped ball ultimately cost the Knights an opportunity to stun the Cowboys, but Ponga walked away with his reputation enhanced as he put on a dazzling show.
Newcastle took a chance when they lured Ponga from Townsville as a teenager on a mega-deal but their risk has been rewarded, prompting Johns to laud his latest performance and hail his impact on the club.
“I didn’t think I would ever say this, but I think he has gone past Ben Kennedy as Newcastle’s greatest signing,” Johns told Sport Con.
Kennedy only played 86 games for the Knights but was credited with bringing a hard edge to the club during his time in the steel city.
His toughness became a thing of legend as he helped the Knights to the 2001 premiership. Johns himself was once asked who would win out of the 1997 and 2001 title sides and he claimed the latter, purely because they had Kennedy in their ranks.
Ponga is yet to lead Newcastle to a premiership but he has given Knights supporters some hope that with a few changes to his supporting cast, a title may be in their future.
The Knights are attempting to create some cap space as they look to tinker with their line-up and prop Daniel Saifiti was celebrated at their presentation night this week as he prepares to confirm his move to the Dolphins.
As part of that deal, Newcastle will carry a small portion of his salary for the next two years, but have freed up in excess of $600,000 as they look to build a team around Ponga capable of going deep into the finals.
It is understood Saifiti has agreed a three-year deal with the Dolphins.
‘FACE THE CONSEQUENCES’: BENJI’S HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Wests Tigers players have been left in no doubt about what is expected from them when they return to pre-season training in November after the club delivered some home truths in their exit interviews.
It is understood the players were told that they needed to return to pre-season in tip-top shape or face the consequences.
The Tigers have won three straight wooden spoons and a fourth will be unacceptable given the club has secured some big signings for next year, chief among them Penrith superstar Jarome Luai, his premiership-wining teammate Sunia Turuva and Cronulla prop Royce Hunt.
The Tigers remain in the market and have been linked with a handful of players including Marcelo Montoya and Brisbane’s Kobe Hetherington – Hetherington is expected to visit the club’s headquarters next week.
However, they may choose to keep their powder dry and watch how the summer unfolds before making any further moves.
The club’s existing players have also been told to arrive back at training in good condition as the club looks to give coach Benji Marshall the best chance to lead a revival.
The message appears to have had the desired effect – a number of the club’s young stars were still working out in the facilities this week in a bid to ensure they hit the ground running next season.
Meanwhile, premiership-winning hero Brett Hodgson is among the coaches being considered as Marshall looks to strengthen the ranks of his assistants next season.
Hodgson, a teammate of Marshall in the 2005 grand final win and a life member of the Tigers, was most recently a member of Eddie Jones’ staff with the Wallabies, acting as their defensive coach.
He has previously been on the Tigers coaching staff as an assistant.
STORM STAR PUTS CONTRACT TALKS ON HOLD
Melbourne star Ryan Papenhuyzen has confirmed that he has put contract negotiations on hold while he focuses on winning another premiership with the Storm.
Papenhuyzen enters the final year of his deal on November 1, meaning he can begin negotiations with rival clubs after that date if he has failed to agree to an extension with Melbourne.
His management has opened negotiations with Melbourne bosses but Papenhuyzen doesn’t want to be bothered until after the finals series has come to an end.
“It’s just annoying when you’re sort of thinking about it during this time,” Papenhuyzen said.
“You don’t want things to be speculated because things get reported sometimes that aren’t true. I don’t want my teammates seeing all that stuff and being a distraction.
“So I thought we would just hold off until the end of the year, let me just get through, win a premiership and then talk about it.”
After suffering a series of injury blows in recent seasons, Papenhuyzen is back in red-hot form and leading the Storm’s surge to a premiership.
He concedes he finds it difficult to imagine leaving Melbourne, but the distraction of contract negotiations is something he would prefer to deal with once the season is done and dusted.
“It would be (hard),” he said.
“I love Melbourne. It’s a great place and I had some good friends down there as well.
“So it’s somewhere I don’t want to leave and it’s just more the talk around it.
“It’s better off to wait to the end of the season to get a deal done. Like I said – November 1st – the grand final is the first week of October.
“So you still got a month before you can even negotiate with other clubs and hopefully we can get something done in that time.”
TEDDY’S MISSION TO RETAIN ROOS CAPTAINCY
Sydney Roosters skipper James Tedesco wants to use the club’s premiership tilt as a springboard to retaining his Australian jersey and the Kangaroos captaincy.
Tedesco is locked in a battle to retain the national No.1 jersey after losing his place in the NSW side to Dylan Edwards. Newcastle star Kalyn Ponga is also heaping pressure on Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga while Manly superstar Tom Trbojevic will play in the finals series despite carrying a shoulder problem.
Meninga is renowned for his loyalty but Tedesco will likely need to go deep in the finals to retain his place with the Kangaroos.
“I’ve been happy with how I have been playing this year,” Tedesco said.
“That’s all I can really focus on – I can’t really focus on too much else. My main focus is leading us to a premiership win and if I do that, then we’ll see what happens.
“But that’s pretty much all I’m putting my energy into and, of course, I want to play for Australia.
“I think everyone does.”
Tedesco has played 13 Test matches for Australia over the past six years and was named captain of the Kangaroos in 2022.
He has been at the helm ever since but is now under siege as the Roosters prepare to launch the finals series on Friday night against Penrith.
“I mean, captain, there’s no higher honour I think,” Tedesco said.
“The last two years I’ve been captain of Australia, no one can take that away from me. That’s the highest honour in the game.
“If I get another opportunity, I won’t say no and I want to make the most of it. But again, there’s just so much more to happen before that.”
FREDDY SET FOR COACHING RETURN
Brad Fittler will make his coaching return when he takes charge of the PM’s XIII side to take on PNG on October 13.
Santos Stadium in Port Moresby will host the double header for the men and women teams. Fittler will coach the men’s team while women’s Indigenous All Stars coach Jess Skinner will be PM’s XIII women’s coach.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said these matches would strengthen ties between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
“Sport brings us together, both on and off the field,” Albanese said. “Rugby league is effectively the national sport of PNG.
“What better way to bring Australia and PNG closer together than through rugby league.”
It comes as PNG inches towards becoming the game’s 19th team.
STORM UNEARTH NEXT STAR ROOKIE
The Storm have signed their next Will Warbrick after agreeing to a multi-year contract with Olympic sevens star Moses Leo.
The only catch is the Storm might have to wait 12 months to get their hands on the flyer.
Leo and Melbourne have agreed to a deal from the 2026 season however they hope they might be able to squeeze him out of his New Zealand rugby contract a year early. Talks so far have been unsuccessful.
Regardless, Leo’s long-term future is in the 13-man game.
Storm officials met with Leo prior to the Olympics. Leo spent a large chunk of the early part of his career on the sidelines. He was part of their bronze medal winning team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and their silver medal team at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
New Zealand finished fifth at the Olympics.
Warbrick has been a sensation after he too was plucked from New Zealand’s sevens program.
ALL ABOARD THE G-TRAIN
The 5:05pm train from Cronulla to Central on Friday has been officially renamed the “G-Train” after Cronulla premiership winning skipper Paul Gallen in a bid to help transport Sharks fans to Allianz Stadium.
Trains operate from Cronulla to Central every 15 minutes. All tickets for both week two matches includes free public transport (via integrated ticketing).
Public transport will be the best way to get to Allianz Stadium with frequent light rail and buses servicing the Moore Park area.
STORM RECRUIT FULLY FOCUSSED
Melbourne-bound prop Stefano Utoikamanu has signalled his desire to make a flying start to life at the Storm by putting international rugby league on hold over the off-season.
Utoikamanu was pursued by both Samoa and Tonga to be part of their squads for the off-season Test matches but it is understood he will instead use that time to focus on his move to Melbourne as he looks to hit the ground running next season.
Utoikamanu rejected a $4 million deal from the Tigers and interest from the Bulldogs to move to the Storm. He is desperate to make sure the move is a success, highlighted by his decision to sacrifice the chance to play for Tonga or Samoa.
CHILDHOOD RIVALS SET FOR FINAL SHOWDOWN?
Tolu Koula has played with and against Joseph Suaalii since they were in primary school. They may face each other for the final time on Saturday night and Koula can appreciate an era may be coming to an end for the rivals and mates.
“Hopefully it’s not the last (time) but it is kinda looking that way.” Koula told Sport Con. “We have played union and league with and against each other since primary school and all the way through high school.
“It’s always a good challenge to come across him. Hopefully at some point we come across each other (again).”
Suaalii will leave the NRL at the end of the season for a mega-deal with Rugby Australia – he has already been earmarked to join the Wallabies on the Spring Tour.
Koula had the same opportunity but rejected rugby union to stay in league and commit his future to Manly.
He repaid a large slice of that faith last weekend when he scored the match winning try to beat the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium.
Now the Roosters and Suaalii stand in Manly’s way.
“I think a lot of people are looking to see how he goes,” Koula said. “Like I said I am sure he is going to do his thing and kill it over there. He is really looking forward to going over but obviously he has his first job with the Chooks.”
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