NRL: Kalyn Ponga works his magic for Knights in win over Raiders

Kalyn Ponga orchestrated a 34-18 win over Canberra that confirmed the Knights’ status as a genuine premiership threat.

Newcastle’s Bradman Best slices through the Raiders defence to score at Campbelltown Stadium on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

Kalyn Ponga was apparently on the verge of signing a $5m contract extension with Newcastle a few weeks back. If the Knights have their wits about them, they will get this name on that contract quick smart.

Ponga missed his side’s 14-all draw with Penrith seven days ago through suspension but he made up for lost time at Campbelltown Stadium on Sunday, orchestrating a 34-18 win over Canberra that confirmed the Knights’ status as a genuine premiership threat.

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Ponga scored a try of his own and finished the match with three assists as the Knights produced an emphatic win against one of the premiership favourites. Week by week, win by win, Newcastle are making believers out of everyone. It helps when you have a magician in your ranks. It took only two minutes for Ponga to put his stamp on the match, a delightful cut-out pass giving teenager Bradman Best his third try in the past two weeks.

Midway through the half, he did it himself, throwing a dummy and putting the foot down as he left Canberra defenders grasping at air.

The Raiders had no answer as Ponga worked off the back of a forward pack that was dominating the middle of the field. He added six tackle busts and 165 metres to his afternoon’s work, which came to a premature end when he left the field for a head injury assessment. By then, the points were safely in Newcastle’s keeping.

When it was suggested to Canberra coach Ricky Stuart that Ponga’s return had made a difference to the Knights, he succinctly responded: “So he should. He’s a good player.”

“It’s not so much the skill,” Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien said.

“I imagine when the guys are putting the socks on, and he is doing the same, they get more confidence. For me it is what he gives us in meetings during the week. For a guy who is not completely passionate all week about footy, he knows a lot about it. That’s the thing that gets me.

“His leadership qualities have been outstanding and have only improved from the time I have been here.”

Having made a flying start thanks to Ponga, the Knights were in no mood to relent against last year’s grand finalists. Canberra gave them a helping hand.

Newcastle were gifted a penalty try on the stroke of halftime when Enari Tuala was taken out and then winger Edrick Lee scored a pair of tries early in the second half. Newcastle were rampant. “I was really happy with the start,” O’Brien said. “As a coach you’re always hoping that we get off to an energetic start.”

Stuart was scathing in his assessment of his team’s display.

“We started very, very poor,” Stuart said. “It was one of those games you want to forget very quickly. We were really poor. We were not in the contest at all tonight. We didn’t accept the challenge. Newcastle were very good. I will cop a loss if you get beaten by a better football team, which we did tonight. Defensively tonight was the worst we have defended for two years. Played like children ­tonight.”

Being down defensively against a side featuring a player of Ponga’s ilk is opening the door to a world of hurt. Everything about his performance oozed class.

He eventually walked off the field in the 74th minute after copping a whack to the head.

The Knights weren’t ready to put the cue in the rack though. There was still time for Best to score his second try of the game, toeing through a loose pass to score under the posts.

After he scored, a fracas broke out between players. But the Knights had the last laugh.

“It is early,” O’Brien said. “There are parts we are thrilled with and parts we still need to get to. They are a team that at the back end of (last) year, all they were reading about was how they turned it up and gave up, and don’t care. That is not the case. They care. They are thrilled to be on the other side but they know it can quickly change if we don’t remain pretty steely.

“It’s on them. I think what they have done from day one, as I said numerous times, I roll into the joint and they are already training.

“They have worked really hard. It is a weird first year with everything going on. But they are a great bunch.”