Three days before publicly prioritising club over country, Kalyn Ponga had a very different take on Kangaroos selection.
“Yeah, I am,” Ponga told The Mower’s Club on SEN radio when asked whether he was fit and available to represent Australia.
“I pulled up sweet from the game. Coming back from my injury, I’ve got no niggles or anything in the back half of the season, so that’s good.
“I am fit, fighting. I wouldn’t say I’m too fit right now, but I’m fit and able.”
That was on Saturday morning. While the body and mind were then willing, a statement released by Newcastle at 2.30pm on Tuesday revealed a change in Ponga’s priorities.
“My focus has never shifted from wanting to win a premiership with the Knights, that has been my gaol [sic] since I joined the club in 2018 and continues to be my focus,” the statement read.
Somewhere in that 79 hours a backflip was performed. So what happened?
Wearing the green and gold is considered the pinnacle of the sport, but those who have followed Ponga’s journey closely would recall that it has never been his highest aspiration.
In 2018, when speculation of a cross-code switch arose, Ponga revealed a long-held desire to represent the All Blacks.
“Obviously, that would be a huge goal, if I was to come back to union,” Ponga told tvnz.co.nz at the time.
Kalyn Ponga has knocked back the chance to play for the Kangaroos.Credit: Getty
“I think it’s the pinnacle. They are the best sporting organisation in the world, the stats have shown that.
“The way they hold themselves and their values, and it’s just the little things they do that make them that step above everyone else. To put on that jersey would be pretty special.”
So, too, is the Maroon one. However, Ponga, after coming back from a series of concussions that threatened his career, ruled himself out of last year’s State of Origin series. It’s a stance that only changed when he was called up for this year’s decider.
Ponga’s latest decision is all the more bewildering given that last December, he spoke about how disappointed he was at missing out on Kangaroos selection.
“I was, to be honest,” Ponga said at the time. “Obviously playing at the highest level is a goal of mine, and always will be.
“But in terms of saying that, no bad blood. I wasn’t disappointed at [Australian coach] Mal [Meninga], I was just disappointed that I didn’t make it.
“That team is elite, it’s going to be hard to make but, hopefully, I do get there.”
There was a refreshing honesty in Ponga stating his reasons for snubbing the Kangaroos. Too many players have feigned injury to give themselves a break after an arduous season. Yet if Ponga’s desire to break Newcastle’s premiership drought truly is his overriding ambition, his best chance of achieving that is by playing for Australia.
Kalyn Ponga representing the Juior Kangaroos in 2019.Credit: Getty
The Pacific Championships provides Ponga the chance to rub shoulders with, and learn from, those who have already achieved the goal. The experiences he would have alongside the game’s elite – the likes of Nathan Cleary, Cameron Munster, Cameron Murray, Issah Yeo and Daly Cherry-Evans – would make the reigning Dally M Medallist an even better player.
The Ponga controversy comes at a time when the NRL is going all in on international footy. Huge investments have been made in the Pacific Championships, taking the game to Vegas and the introduction of a PNG franchise. You no longer need to switch to rugby union to experience the world.
Which is why Ponga’s stance has upset the powers that be at Rugby League Central. Without a valid excuse, the NRL has the power to sanction Ponga for his decision. They plan to use it.
Compare Ponga’s position with that of his contemporaries. Shaun Johnson hung up the boots after the Warriors’ campaign ended, yet it will be the sport’s shortest retirement if the Kiwis call. And the player most under threat from Ponga, incumbent captain and fullback James Tedesco, said he was desperate to add to his 13 appearances for the Kangaroos.
“If that opportunity comes, I’m not going to knock that back,” Tedesco told this masthead last week.
Ponga is yet to play for his country at senior level and the opportunity to do so may not always be there. Having changed his tune so many times already, perhaps it’s time for one more rethink.
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