Ponga Appreciation Thread.

[Noname36]

No one knew about the ball playing skill. Or if they did the Cowboys undersold it.

But geez at nrl level that is priceless..

Brown said on NRL 360 a few weeks ago that they wanted to change the way he played a bit from when he was at the Cowboys and that included utilising his ball playing skills.

 

[Jono078]

Could be the talent of his generation. That's how good he is, and there's no other way to put it at this stage. Obviously the future is unwritten, and a lot of things could happen... but he's in the very the rarest tier of young talents. To live up to and even exceed the hype is just phenomenal. We have to be realistic, he's going to have bad days... but I'm not sure when they'll be at this point?

I think the biggest challenges he could hit in his career might be if/when he slows down and loses that pace and elusiveness. He will need to change his game at that point... I think of Benji as an example of someone who did it rough for a long time after losing that sort of physical ability. However, I think Ponga has a way sounder, calmer head on his shoulders than Benji did at this age... and can make much smarter plays already, rather than just crazy ass steps and flick passes.

The sky is the limit for the kid right now.

That's what I was thinking. Like what would slow this guy down? Even if he lost his pace and elusiveness I think he has the ball-playing skills to still be an elite player. I think he'll turn into a top tier halfback way down the track.

 

[Zoidberg]

Hopefully he will remain happy with the club and stay here for his whole career.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Hopefully he will remain happy with the club and stay here for his whole career.

Nah good things don’t happen to us. Broncos will get him.

 

[Johns Magic]

We are so lucky to have this guy. Although in this case we made our own luck. What a gift from Brown and Mooney.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I love his ball playing ability. He's on of the best players that I have seen create a 3 on 2 due to his right foot step before putting his outside man through a small hole. He's safe as houses at the back, has great speed and can turn nothing into something. If Lamb doesn't perform at 5/8 and we use Watson, we can manage that as Ponga's a second 5/8.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

I love his ball playing ability. He's on of the best players that I have seen create a 3 on 2 due to his right foot step before putting his outside man through a small hole. He's safe as houses at the back, has great speed and can turn nothing into something. If Lamb doesn't perform at 5/8 and we use Watson, we can manage that as Ponga's a second 5/8.

Ponga has been playing left side second receiver all season. Played a bit of right side against the broncos. Watson never even touched the ball once on th left side when he was fit.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

Words cannot describe the joy I experience watching Ponga play.

As a Rugby League tragic, it's rare that you see a player of this calibre come through the ranks. And let me tell you, of all the great players i've seen come through and develop into superstars, Kalyn is perhaps the most gifted of them all.

Congratulations on recruiting this kid, he will shape the Knights future for the better almost single-handedly.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Dally M Medal Standings

M Pearce - 8 (Newcastle Knights)
K Ponga - 8 (Newcastle Knights)
G Widdop - 8 (St George-Illawarra)
J Arrow - 7 (Gold Caost Titans)
L Brooks - 7 (Wests Tigers)
L Keary - 7 (Sydney Roosters)
A Taylor - 7 (Gold Coast Titans)
N Cleary - 6 (Penrith Panthers)
J Leilua - 6 (Canberra Raiders)
R Tuivasa-Sheck - 6 (New Zealand Warriors)
J De-Berlin - 5 (St George-Illawarra)
A Fifita - 5 (Cronulla Sharks)
T Frizell - 5 (St George-Illawarra)
B Marshall - 5 (Wests Tigers)
C Cronk - 4 (Sydney Roosters)
T Harris - 4 (New Zealand Warriors)
J Trbojevic - 4 (Manly Sea Egales)

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Discussion on TV tonight how fullbacks of old would play at the back in defence and how the trend now is to lock them in the line They reckoned it might go back to the older style
I've noticed Ponga does a lot of cover in defence and hangs back a bit to try and read the play and position himself. Not always but if something I've picked up.

Brown also said they started him playing down the left in attack to ease him in confidence wise since that was what he was mostly used to.
Now the intent is to move him around a bit. Hence seeing him make some plays down the right against the Broncos.

 

[Yosh]

The next Lockyer??

How well is Brown handling the players??? Giving the youngsters time and confidence to improve and doing a great job of getting the best out of Ponga.

 

[perverse]

The next Lockyer??

How well is Brown handling the players??? Giving the youngsters time and confidence to improve and doing a great job of getting the best out of Ponga.

Could be the next anything, I don't think you can put a limit or a ceiling on him yet. Rugby League is a cruel game, though. We all watched Jarrod Mullens career unfold, we all saw what happened to Yow Yeh.

I'm just taking a lot of joy out of what he's producing now and looking forward to seeing where it takes the his career and our club.

 

[PhilGould]

Sione Mata’utia column: 'Kalyn Ponga is the best player I've ever played with'

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...a/news-story/a8f86e27d8caa53a443142b9ecf79de9

 

[Knight Vision]

Sione Mata’utia column: 'Kalyn Ponga is the best player I've ever played with'

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...a/news-story/a8f86e27d8caa53a443142b9ecf79de9

Huge rap but just confirms what fans of the game can already see. Ponga could be anything by the end of his career. He's a freak. It sounds stupid to say it about a kid who just started his career and there's a hell of a long road to go, but it feels like we just got our next immortal, such is the kids potential.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I think the key moving forward will be keeping a consistently good team playing around him. All the guys who have gone down as legends of the game played in really good teams for most of their career.

You look at the guys who have dominated the modern game, Smith, Thurston, Cronk, Slater, Johns, Lockyer etc played most of their careers in strong teams both at club and rep level and they played better being those teams as well as making the players around them better.

If we can keep a fairly consistent roster for the next 5 or so years then we'll see the best in Ponga, especially when we finally have a forward pack that can dominate teams. Considering how good he is now without that much go forward in front of him he could be anything playing on the back of a big aggressive pack.

 

[Old dog]

I think the key moving forward will be keeping a consistently good team playing around him. All the guys who have gone down as legends of the game played in really good teams for most of their career.

You look at the guys who have dominated the modern game, Smith, Thurston, Cronk, Slater, Johns, Lockyer etc played most of their careers in strong teams both at club and rep level and they played better being those teams as well as making the players around them better.

If we can keep a fairly consistent roster for the next 5 or so years then we'll see the best in Ponga, especially when we finally have a forward pack that can dominate teams. Considering how good he is now without that much go forward in front of him he could be anything playing on the back of a big aggressive pack.

Agreed, and those aggressive props are needed now, start of 2018 latest especially if we loose Heighinton and possibly Lillyman

 

[Knight Vision]

I think the key moving forward will be keeping a consistently good team playing around him. All the guys who have gone down as legends of the game played in really good teams for most of their career.

You look at the guys who have dominated the modern game, Smith, Thurston, Cronk, Slater, Johns, Lockyer etc played most of their careers in strong teams both at club and rep level and they played better being those teams as well as making the players around them better.

If we can keep a fairly consistent roster for the next 5 or so years then we'll see the best in Ponga, especially when we finally have a forward pack that can dominate teams. Considering how good he is now without that much go forward in front of him he could be anything playing on the back of a big aggressive pack.

agree with that and the players you mention are also part of great spine combinations. Ponga is the type of player that will also attract quality players to the club, same Pearce. I think we may find recruitment that much easier now we have those 2 players at the club.

 

[Yosh]

How do you sticky this on the Cowboy's forum?

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

This kid is f**king amazing.. Words can't even describe.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Words can't describe his brilliance