Newcastle withdraw three-year extension freeing Kalyn Ponga to sign with Dolphins

A coy Kalyn Ponga has addressed his contract situation after Newcastle pulled its three-year extension offer from the table.

Kalyn Ponga future is up in the air. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty

Newcastle has sensationally withdrawn its three-year contract extension for Kalyn Ponga, freeing the Knights superstar to become the Dolphins’ first marquee signing.

And the shock decision would allow Newcastle to launch a massive long-term deal for Storm champion Cameron Munster.

The Daily Telegraph understands the club and Ponga had agreed to a new five-year contract before the deal was pulled last Friday.

Sources close to Ponga and the club claim his father, Andre, wanted authority over when the new deal would be announced publicly, not the club.

Certain factions inside Newcastle are unsettled at the influence Andre seems to now have at the club.

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While some elements at the club still want to keep Ponga, senior Knights management was becoming increasingly fed-up with Andre’s announcement delay and the money being outlayed for a player struggling to find form.

Last week, the club met with Ponga and the deal – and third party deals - were essentially accepted by both parties before its spectacular collapse.

Newcastle wanted to publicly reveal their Ponga coup last week – the club needed to release a feel-good story - but Andre wanted the announcement delayed.

Ponga, 24, has until round ten to trigger an option for the remaining two years of his existing Knights contract.

Kalyn Ponga future is up in the air. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty

Newcastle offered Ponga a three-year extension, a deal which would have secured the champion fullback for another five years. The new deal would have seen Ponga earn $1.1m to $1.2m a year.

The question remains whether Newcastle’s stance is part of contract argy-bargy and the deal can be rekindled or whether the contract is now dead in the water.

Ponga can now ignore the contract clauses his way for 2023 and 2024 and leave Newcastle after this season.

But after his impressive display against the Dragons, Ponga insists he isn’t feeling pressure to make a definitive call on his future.

“No I don’t. I never have. I never will (feel the pressure),” he said.

“I don’t worry about it (his contract speculation), all I am thinking about right now is the loss. Reviewing it hurts. It was a tough game.

“I know what I am feeling, but that’s between me and my management.

“I know you guys want to know and I hope you respect I can announce this on my terms.”

Coach Adam O’Brien was less cryptic when asked if the Knights had pulled a deal for Ponga.

“Ridiculous,” O’Brien said after the loss to the Dragons.

“I had breakfast (on Sunday) morning and apparently we were signing Cameron Munster (from the Storm).

“I can’t keep up with you guys. Fair dinkum.”

Pressed again on whether the Ponga extension had collapsed, O’Brien added: “It has never been brought up to me once. It is absolute news to me.

“Our CEO (Phil Gardner) isn’t even in the country, he is in Hawaii, but I wake up to news that we are also signing Cameron Munster. Bloody hell.

“Kalyn showed (on Sunday) why he is worth the wait (with his future), his performance showed how committed he is to this team and we are committed to him, too.

“Both sides are still going through the process, Kalyn’s management and the Knights. Things are tracking along.

“My focus is on the team and the way he played, his focus is on the team, too.”

The Dolphins have been circling Ponga for some time and have been desperate to secure a marquee player who is a Queenslander.

Munster comes off contract at Melbourne after next season.

The Storm have offered Munster a new deal worth about $750,000 a year but his manager, Braith Anasta, believes his client is worth $1m a season player.

The Dolphins are set to go all in on Kalyn Ponga. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

And few would argue at Munster’s value after his remarkable individual performance for Melbourne against Cronulla on Saturday night.

Aside from Redcliffe, it would appear no other club has the money – nor desire – to shell out more than $1m a year for Ponga. Maybe Wests Tigers could show an interest.

It is known that Newcastle has a special back-up plan to replace Ponga, which is believed to be Munster.

Ponga could still trigger his 2023 and 2024 contract clauses and remain at Newcastle but that scenario would not appear unlikely.

The Maroons star has claimed he wanted to remain at Newcastle to win a premiership. That though would appear unlikely to happen by joining Redcliffe.