News Corp can reveal a Newcastle medical investigation is confident Ponga’s NRL career can be salvaged despite
four concussions in 10 months that have triggered an offshore search for answers.
Ponga is sidelined indefinitely due to a series of head knocks, prompting the NRL’s $6 million man and Knights chief medical officer Dr Jin Lee to depart Australia on Friday morning bound for Vancouver.
The first NRL player to head overseas for issues related to concussion, Ponga will use technology not available in Australia, with his brain activity to be measured by neurophysiological markers.
Ponga’s North American odyssey will see the 24-year-old undergo specialised concussion testing from some of the world’s finest head-trauma experts to help map out his comeback path to rugby league.
“The assessment will involve technology that is approved for use in Northern America however not yet available in Australia,” the Knights said in a statement as Ponga boarded a 15-hour flight.
“Kalyn will undergo testing using a device that measures neurophysiological markers, which in turn will assist clinical decision making around recovery following concussion and provide further objective information to guide our clinicians.”
RETIREMENT FEARS
Newcastle football boss Peter Parr is confident Ponga can enjoy a long career at the club and revealed the Knights have explored every possible avenue to safeguard his welfare, including reaching out to brain specialists overseas.
Ponga suffered his latest head knock in Newcastle’s win over the Tigers in round 2 and while he has been ruled out of Sunday’s clash against Canberra, Parr scuppered fears the Queensland sensation could be medically retired.
“Kalyn won’t be playing this week, but he will be available when the doctors are comfortable with where he is at,” Parr told News Corp.
“I’m confident we will see him back playing and I would love to see him have a long career at the Knights.
“At the moment, Kalyn is in the hands of our medical staff and he is always in touch with Chris Levi who is based in Newcastle and one of the leading neurologists in the country.
“All I know is that Kalyn is in the very best of care and he has recovered from his latest knock.
“I say recovered in the sense that he is getting around at the club well and at home, so we have left it to the medical staff and they don’t need to be micromanaged over something as delicate as this.
“This (Ponga’s concussion battle) is a touchy subject with so many experts involved and we are all trying to learn about it.
“Our medical people are seeking some advice from experts overseas.
“They are getting as much shared knowledge as they can, so that when they feel Kalyn is fit to return, that their information is as accurate as it can be.”
THE KNIGHT-MARE
At 24, Ponga’s career has never been more important, both for his own individual success and that of the Knights, following a call last year to move from fullback and into the halves.
The $1.2 million playmaker was to be the central focus of the Knights’ entire 2023 attack.
His transition from an elite fullback to five-eighth began in the most recent summer pre-season, a move he poured hours upon hours into across three months to perfect.
With the support of NRL Immortal and Knights halves coach Andrew Johns, Ponga finetuned his connection with his spine and back-rowers.
But most of all, he prepared himself for the physical demands that defending in the front line at five-eighth requires, compared to that of the last line defence at fullback.
However, his season took a staggering halt in round two when Ponga was knocked out just 90-seconds into a clash with the Tigers.
“I’ve seen him make that tackle a thousand times over the summer so I’m not too concerned about (his technique),’’ Knights coach Adam O’Brien said.
THE PHYSICAL TOLL
Despite O‘Brien’s confidence in Ponga’s tackling style, Fox Sports statistics show that the demands on Ponga are far greater at five-eighth than fullback.
On average five-eighths this season have made close to 16 tackles per-game compared to an average of four tackles for fullbacks.
It represents a 400 per cent increase in the defensive workload that Ponga will have to confront by playing in the six jersey.
The two positions also require different demands on the body both in defence and in attack.
FRONTLINE TARGET
Broncos legend Darren Lockyer has implored Newcastle to keep Ponga at five-eighth – despite statistics revealing the superstar faces a 400 per cent increase in the amount of tackles he would make compared to fullback.
“When you are a fullback defensively, you might make the odd tackle from a scrum,’’ Lockyer said.
“The next one is one-on-one or trying to tackle someone over the sideline. Rarely do you have a front rower or back rower running at you.
Asked if Lockyer felt Ponga should be moved from the front line to fullback, he said: ”It is not the answer. ”When he got knocked out the other day against the Tigers, he got off the defensive line quickly but he didn’t steady himself enough going into the contact.
“He is used to going into a defensive line with the footy at speed, and not easing up. Whereas defensively, he has now had to get into that repetitive thing of getting off the line quickly, but then you have to steady to go into contact.
“Going back to fullback is not going to fix it.’’
Ex-Knights forward Alex McKinnon, who worked with Ponga closely as the club’s former head of recruitment in 2021 and 2022, echoed Lockyer’s sentiments.
“Adam O’Brien shouldn’t have to worry about where I’m going to play Kalyn,’’ McKinnon said.
“The club will do the best thing for Kalyn’s welfare, but it gets to a point of getting back out there without fear and understanding the repercussions.
“If the club is going into games with a mindset of wondering where they should play him, well, he shouldn’t be playing. ”Adam was confident to move him there, so what has changed?
“You have to eliminate the thought of a head knock. Otherwise, you’re jumping at ghosts.’’
SALARY CAP IMPACT
Another headache for the Knights is Ponga‘s monster wage. It will rise to at least $1.5 million in 2025 and peaks at $1.6m by 2027, putting pressure on Newcastle’s salary cap should their highest-paid player not be a consistent presence on the park.
Under NRL rules, payouts to players forced to leave the game on medical grounds are exempt from the salary cap.
But Parr defended Ponga‘s huge contract and said his welfare – not Newcastle’s salary-cap position – will always come first.
“Kalyn earns a good wage but so he should,” Parr said.
“He is one of the stars of the competition and when one of your star players is out injured, it affects the balance of your team and your salary cap.
“I was at the Cowboys when Johnathan Thurston got injured, he missed the 2017 grand final, and Melbourne are without (Cameron) Munster and (Ryan) Papenhuyzen.
“It’s not just us.
“Whenever any club‘s highest-profile player is injured and they take up, quite rightly, a large portion of your salary cap, it’s always going to affect you as a club.
“We’re no different to any club that has one of their star players out hurt, but our overriding concern is Kalyn as a person and his life beyond football one day.”
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