Ponga Appreciation Thread.

[Pedge1971]

Nobody will ever be as good as Joey but I’d certainly be happy if the two best the game has ever seen both ended up being Knights lol

Never say never. Different era but this kid does things Joey never could and vice versa..

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

The bloke has genuinely made me excited to watch Knights games again

 

[Zoidberg]

It’s kinda nice to see people who don’t support or watch the Knights realise how good he is after his origin game.

 

[Old dog]

Too many eggs in one basket, need more than one player, no matter how good, need more to make a good competitive side, we go no where unless we build a strong side I am concerned that fans are caught up with one player and expecting more from him than is possible to win games let alone a competition. Don't get me wrong Ponga is very very good

 

[Frank Facer]

Ah... They used him as a tackling machine and he had no problem... He then nearly won the game for them and all game the pace of the game didn't phase him and his combination with Slater and Co. Was amazing...

I think the question needs to be raised: Is Ponga gonna be better than Joey??

I only got to see Joey from 2001 onwards so I don't have any idea what he was like as a youngster. Did he have as much impact as Ponga?

I remember reading an article in Rugby League Week very early on in Andrew Johns's career, where the author was asking or suggesting that Andrew Johns could turn out to be the best player ever. I hadn't seen that much of Johns at the time and thought that the author was exaggerating. Turns out he wasn't.

I rate Ponga very highly too. On one of the threads on our forum, around the first or second round of this year's comp, Old Timer said that Ponga was a future superstar. Another poster on our forum, Drag Queen questioned if he was being facetious, before Old Timer had time to respond, I responded that Old Timer wasn't being facetious and that he was a very special talent. He is even better than I thought he was and will continue to improve. The fact that Newcastle fans are suggesting that he could be even better than Johns actually surprises me. He is very close to being the best player in the comp this year.

 

[Frank Facer]

Play him where he wants to play (which may be fullback) but I think Ponga would make a fantastic (the best) 5/8. He showed tonight that he's up to the challenge defensively. If Watson learns how to pass he could slot in at fullback where he can play to his strengths (his running game).

6.Ponga
7.Pearce

is the future

I too said that Ponga would make a great 5/8. At 5/8 he would probably be a bit closer to the play. I questioned if he was already the best ball player in the comp after only about 6 or 7 weeks into this year's comp. I think he would also have a very good kicking game.

Fullback probably gives him a bit more room to move. He is a dangerous runner bringing the ball back in broken play. He is very safe to have at fullback.

 

[Frank Facer]

Does anyone else see him as our long term 5/8?

I think it's easier to make/sign a fullback than a genuine playmaking 5/8.

That is a good point.

 

[Frank Facer]

And some people questioned if Newcastle had paid too much when they signed him for a 5 year contract. lol It turns out to be the buy of the century and how smart to sign him for 5 years? Pure genius.

Dufty is going more than alright for us too and continues to improve. He was a match winner for us on Thursday night.

 

[Noname36]

Too many eggs in one basket, need more than one player, no matter how good, need more to make a good competitive side, we go no where unless we build a strong side I am concerned that fans are caught up with one player and expecting more from him than is possible to win games let alone a competition. Don't get me wrong Ponga is very very good

Pearce is an outstanding basket at club level. Ramien is an absolute gun at well, Sione is really coming on, we might be getting Fergo, our dummy half combination does the job ..need some props absolutely but we certainly have more than 1 good player

 

[Yosh]

Sooo... What's the news?? If there's a fund happening to offer him the best medical support on the planet, give me the details I'll be back after selling my house and going all in. We need this guy.

 

[Burwood]

You can thank that hamstring injury on him making 30 odd tackles in origin last week. The kid’s a Ferrari, he shouldn’t be doing the grunt work at this stage of his development.

 

[Spot On]

You can thank that hamstring injury on him making 30 odd tackles in origin last week. The kid’s a Ferrari, he shouldn’t be doing the grunt work at this stage of his development.

Kevin Walters and the QLD selection committee have a plan though.

Not.

 

[Silent Knight]

Walters is a spud. Not much going on between the ears.

 

[Zoidberg]

SO it’s a grade 1 tear, 3-4 weeks off. Sigh.

 

[Silent Knight]

The only upside is that Spud Walters and the Qlderps won't have the pleasure of using him in Origin 3, ensuring a Blueswash becomes that much more likely.

Maybe in the future they'll take proper care of our Ferrari and won't flog him like a bogan in a Holden Commodore complete with fluffy dice. Rednecks don't know quality when they see it.

 

[9701]

The only upside is that Spud Walters and the Qlderps won't have the pleasure of using him in Origin 3, ensuring a Blueswash becomes that much more likely.

Maybe in the future they'll take proper care of our Ferrari and won't flog him like a bogan in a Holden Commodore complete with fluffy dice. Rednecks don't know quality when they see it.

A commodore wouldn't have lasted as many minutes as Kayln did

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

SO it’s a grade 1 tear, 3-4 weeks off. Sigh.

So long as the tear isnt too bad, the break will probably be good for Ponga....

Carrying the team every week, plus Origin, is a lot for a 20 year old. Id rather we didnt over-do it too soon, particularly over a season that is almost out of reach already.

 

[Yosh]

Random thought but image that the Cowboys and the Knights swapped and we were the ones to let Ponga go to the Cowboys. The Wests building would be burnt down already. I can't imagine how the Cowboys feel. We've let go of some star youngsters before (Inglis comes to mind) but I can't remember a big of a f**k up as letting Ponga go. Is letting Ponga go, the worst call a club has made in the past 30 years in the NRL?

 

[Dave_]

Random thought but image that the Cowboys and the Knights swapped and we were the ones to let Ponga go to the Cowboys. The Wests building would be burnt down already. I can't imagine how the Cowboys feel. We've let go of some star youngsters before (Inglis comes to mind) but I can't remember a big of a f**k up as letting Ponga go. Is letting Ponga go, the worst call a club has made in the past 30 years in the NRL?

Yep, Cows made the biggest recruitment/retention blunder ever. Their fans are the only ones that make excuses stating otherwise. Second biggest f**k up was Dogs letting Thurston go to the Cows

 

[Yosh]

Yep, Cows made the biggest recruitment/retention blunder ever. Their fans are the only ones that make excuses stating otherwise. Second biggest f**k up was Dogs letting Thurston go to the Cows

Oh yeah.. That one was huge. I guess it comes full circle with the Cows giving us Ponga. Does that mean we'll offload the next JT, Ponga to another NRL in 20 years?