Ponga Appreciation Thread.

[Noname36]

His natural vision is just incredible.

It’s really weird hearing opposition fans and commentators saying he’s the best they’ve ever seen, because I guess for us nobody could ever hold a candle to Joey, but we’re very lucky to have him.

 

[Burns]

I hope we don't waste him. Does that make sense? This year is like 2005 Benji and 2014 Shaun Johnson, players just in another league.

 

[Noname36]

I hope we don't waste him. Does that make sense? This year is like 2005 Benji and 2014 Shaun Johnson, players just in another league.

Ponga’s different to them IMO. He has the fancy footwork and passes of Benji and Johnson...the stuff that makes you sit back and say “wow” - but he’s also got a level of composure and vision that Benji/Johnson have never had.

 

[Frank Facer]

Ponga’s different to them IMO. He has the fancy footwork and passes of Benji and Johnson...the stuff that makes you sit back and say “wow” - but he’s also got a level of composure and vision that Benji/Johnson have never had.

And he is tough as well. He is a complete player and will get better.

 

[Yosh]

Wasn't anything huge but when the Rabbits put a midfield chip and the bounce went away from Ponga and he literally dived head first ten meters in a split second into the knees of a bunch of players and didn't knock it on... And that bomb he caught out of the hands of the oncoming player.. Just amazing.. The human highlight reel!

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Once again, the complete standout in the team. Absolutely incredible to watch.

Looks like Brown has adapted Hagan's 'Pass it to Joey' policy with Ponga last night but.

 

[perverse]

Once again, the complete standout in the team. Absolutely incredible to watch.

Looks like Brown has adapted Hagan's 'Pass it to Joey' policy with Ponga last night but.

I don't think it's that as much as Brown instructing the team that if Kalyn wants the ball, Kalyn gets the ball. You can see him calling for the ball a lot, he is so full of confidence.

And why would you not have this gameplan? He's legitimately in the top tier of players in the competition at the moment... it's pretty crazy. If you've got the tools, use them. We didn't bring him here to f**k spiders. Build the team around him, make him the focal point, make it his team. He's probably slightly more likely to stay with us if he feels like it's his team, lol.

 

[Knight Vision]

I don't think it's that as much as Brown instructing the team that if Kalyn wants the ball, Kalyn gets the ball. You can see him calling for the ball a lot, he is so full of confidence.

And why would you not have this gameplan? He's legitimately in the top tier of players in the competition at the moment... it's pretty crazy. If you've got the tools, use them. We didn't bring him here to f**k spiders. Build the team around him, make him the focal point, make it his team. He's probably slightly more likely to stay with us if he feels like it's his team, lol.

And if he's winning. We must continue to build a team that allows his talent to shine. Like Joey, he makes average players look good and makes good players look like league legends.

 

[perverse]

His natural vision is just incredible.

It’s really weird hearing opposition fans and commentators saying he’s the best they’ve ever seen, because I guess for us nobody could ever hold a candle to Joey, but we’re very lucky to have him.

It's hard to fathom for us for sure... but if this level of performance is Kalyns baseline, and he improves as he ages into his prime like just about every player does... then he could have a Joey-like impact over the course of his career. How many kids can you ever remember coming in and doing this in first grade straight off the bat, and with such consistency? He's on track to win the Dally M in his first year of first grade at a brand new club, slotting into a brand new squad to boot. It's beyond freakish.

I walked away from the TV last night with a big smile on my face after a loss, just because I had such a good time watching Kalyn Ponga play. It's a privilege to watch this guy play for our team, a privilege I hope to enjoy for the next decade or more.

 

[perverse]

And if he's winning. We must continue to build a team that allows his talent to shine. Like Joey, he makes average players look good and makes good players look like league legends.

Fitzgibbon can build an entire career off running off his hip.

 

[Burwood]

All we need is a couple of forwards with an offload. Imagine him running off second phase play, not always having to create everything himself.

 

[Swarzey]

Sione's try showed how much teams already fear Ponga. He hesitated for a second and the ENTIRE Souths left edge shifted left to right to left and back right, they had no f**king idea what he was going to do. They didn't know if they had to mark up on Ponga, cover Sione or cover Skids. I don't recall anyone ever being able to f**k with a defensive line like that at such a young age and with such little experience.

There's a lot of parallels to be made with Prime Benji, Johnson's once a month blinder, RTS' early form but above all that, he has vision that compares to Joey's and he hasn't even begun to peak.

 

[perverse]

There's a lot of parallels to be made with Prime Benji, Johnson's once a month blinder, RTS' early form but above all that, he has vision that compares to Joey's and he hasn't even begun to peak.

His pass selection on the fringes is incredible. I don't think he's made the wrong decision yet with the ball in hand. A couple of wayward cut out balls, but even those were on, he just didn't get them in the right spot and/or they were overrun by the outside men. He's the complete package.

All we need is a couple of forwards with an offload. Imagine him running off second phase play, not always having to create everything himself.

Yeah, I can't wait to watch him develop more with Pearce in the side, as well as hopefully Watson warming into that 6 jersey more. I don't think we've really scratched the surface of what Watson can provide the team yet.

 

[Yosh]

Fitzgibbon can build an entire career off running off his hip.

Reminds me of Hoffman. Special player in a great system but pretty ordinary elsewhere. If he stays and works his combination with Ponga, he will have a long and decorated career.

 

[Joel-22]

Can anyone else see this in the cards at some stage in the future:

1.Watson
6.Ponga
7.Pearce

 

[Swarzey]

I feel Ponga is too good at the back recovering kicks. He still has some room to improve his positional play especially when oppositions run the ball near the line but the way he pounces on kicks, recovers them and gets out of some tricky situations is incredible. I'm not sure if we really gain anything from Watson and Ponga being swapped around.

 

[perverse]

Can anyone else see this in the cards at some stage in the future:

1.Watson
6.Ponga
7.Pearce

Nope. There seems to be a bit of an obsession to get Kalyn into the halves, I assume to replicate Lockyers feats... but he's too well suited to fullback for mine. There's no reason to move him when he plays so good there.

 

[SamSepi0l]

The Kalyn to halves take is old and terrible. Leave him at the back. End of story.

 

[Burwood]

Even from fullback, he’s already plays as our dominant half since Pearce’s injury. I can’t see any benefit to switching him there and forcing him to make 20+ tackles every game. The opposition game plan will just be to run their edge forwards at him all game and tire him out.

 

[SamSepi0l]

Even from fullback, he’s already plays as our dominant half since Pearce’s injury. I can’t see any benefit to switching him there and forcing him to make 20+ tackles every game. The opposition game plan will just be to run their edge forwards at him all game and tire him out.

Agreed. The argument has no legs outside of the u10s idea of 'let's put our best player in the halves!'