Ponga Appreciation Thread.

[perverse]

His worst game today

The Sharks did a number on him, it's going to happen... especially when he has no help around him. He didn't even play badly yesterday, just not his usual game-breaking self.

 

[macavity]

Can't argue there. I have to say though, he got no quality ball at all. The ball was generally shoveled sideways and he was getting it from a standing start. If there was even a hint of a roll on or at least some decent ball thrown to him, then he may very well have been dangerous.

He was still our best.

Imagine him behind a half decent pack.

 

[Still Nutty]

The Sharks did a number on him, it's going to happen... especially when he has no help around him. He didn't even play badly yesterday, just not his usual game-breaking self.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/f3b8dc1db8e1d2bcf765d7bafc3a8eca

And again, it seems as though the referees can ignore it in the game .....but at least it gets picked up by the Match Review Committee.

Can't believe Ese'Ese gets a penalty and put on report for tackling Townsend around the waist as he kicks the ball and, after several replays and plenty of time to make a call, they let Lewis walk scot free for a late (and I reckon high) shot on Ponga.

I can't recall the Graham hit - which one was it that put Ponga in for a HIA...was it either of these?

 

[Spot On]

...and I dont recall any of our powderpuff forwards jumping in when these happened.

Show something FFS.

 

[perverse]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/f3b8dc1db8e1d2bcf765d7bafc3a8eca

And again, it seems as though the referees can ignore it in the game .....but at least it gets picked up by the Match Review Committee.

Can't believe Ese'Ese gets a penalty and put on report for tackling Townsend around the waist as he kicks the ball and, after several replays and plenty of time to make a call, they let Lewis walk scot free for a late (and I reckon high) shot on Ponga.

I can't recall the Graham hit - which one was it that put Ponga in for a HIA...was it either of these?

Yeah, I thought it was the Lewis hit that put him off for HIA. They took a couple of minutes to get him off the field.

 

[bad boy bubby]

Ponga's HIA was due to his head smashing into the ground. Watch the replay. Lewis was late but not high.

 

[Burwood]

Can't believe Ese'Ese gets a penalty and put on report for tackling Townsend around the waist as he kicks the ball and, after several replays and plenty of time to make a call, they let Lewis walk scot free for a late (and I reckon high) shot on Ponga.

I can't recall the Graham hit - which one was it that put Ponga in for a HIA...was it either of these?

I thought I was the only one who saw nothing wrong with Ese’ese’s tackle- couldn’t believe they called it dangerous when Townsend was hit around the waist.

And Ponga can expect that sort of treatment every week. He probably didn’t mind it too much when the team were performing, but it’s going to wear very thin very quickly when they’re putting in efforts like that each week.

I worry that his game is going to be made up entirely of being hit the moment he catches a bomb in his own 20m with a rushing defence, and getting smashed by the likes of Lewis and Graham while playing at the line at the other end of the field.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I thought I was the only one who saw nothing wrong with Ese’ese’s tackle- couldn’t believe they called it dangerous when Townsend was hit around the waist.

And Ponga can expect that sort of treatment every week. He probably didn’t mind it too much when the team were performing, but it’s going to wear very thin very quickly when they’re putting in efforts like that each week.

I worry that his game is going to be made up entirely of being hit the moment he catches a bomb in his own 20m with a rushing defence, and getting smashed by the likes of Lewis and Graham while playing at the line at the other end of the field.

Ponga is a player that I don’t see getting belted that often. His step is just to darnn good.

 

[Spot On]

Ponga's HIA was due to his head smashing into the ground. Watch the replay. Lewis was late but not high.

Just watched it a few times - at the point of contact ....it was high.... and late.

I love Lewis as a player but he could have hit him anywhere below the jaw and didn't.

 

[Old dog]

Don't matter if not high or late the lack of reaction by team mates was a bit weak, and he was hit twice in bad, awkward tackles with no reaction.
He will be targeted with no Pearce he is the one, Sharks had a plan for him and it worked, shut him down opposition gone.

 

[Knight Vision]

...and I dont recall any of our powderpuff forwards jumping in when these happened.

Show something FFS.

no balls no ticker and no aggro. Our forwards need to grow a pair, even if we arent as big, skillful or fast at least pulverize the opposition, send em home hurting and knowing they were in a game of footy.

 

[bad boy bubby]

Just watched it a few times - at the point of contact ....it was high.... and late.

I love Lewis as a player but he could have hit him anywhere below the jaw and didn't.

Fair enough.
You know I can't believe your coaching staff didn't prepare your team for us to be targeting Ponga. You only have one point of attack, it made our defensive game plan pretty easy.
I mean ffs James Shepherd was on our coaching staff for years, he knows how we play the game hard and push limits.
Ponga will be targeted more and more, I honestly hope for your teams sake that Brown and co. work out other game plans to combat it.

 

[Spot On]

Unfortunately I have zero confidence that will happen Bad Boy.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Thank you Jeebus for gracing us with such talent

 

[Spot On]

Yep, he was good last night. Just involved in everything and plenty of talk.

Really hope we can build a pack that gives us the space to see him continually develop his attack.

 

[Dave_]

He's going to win the Dally M easily isn't he?

 

[NK Arsenal]

He definitely was awesome last night, but I think he is far from being a finished product. Scary to think how good he is going to be in 5 years

 

[Burwood]

The main improvement will come in his kicking game and selecting his moments to go for the big play. We were never in doubt last night so it was easy to gloss over a few things, but it's going to hurt us more in close matches if he attempts to grubber ahead 10m out from the line after the team just earns a repeat set, or when his long kicks keep picking out the back three on the full.

Though it was great to get to see him play behind a pack that was winning the battle up front last night. Gave him a lot more space to work and he wasn't getting smashed defusing bombs on his own try line all night.

 

[Apey]

He's going to win the Dally M easily isn't he?

Don't think we will enough games for that.

 

[Yosh]

His kicking game was pretty decent last night. After watching years of Mullen trying the half bomb chip kick every time we were ten meters out, it was refreshing to see Ponga grubber effectively to try get repeat sets. What can't this kid do?