Ponga Appreciation Thread.

[perverse]

I know it was only the Dogs but C'mon.. How good is the bloke?

11 strawberry milkshakes out of 10 today.

 

[Jono078]

Outside of his first few games for us this year. He’s been really trying to put his best fit forward for us.

Even today I noticed a couples times he was going to catch a bomb falling on his backside then he adjusted last minute to actually catch and make a run.

clear shift in his attitude and motives since origin last year. Let’s hope he stays healthy and these guys start getting on his tempo.

 

[mozza91]

His last 6 weeks have been fantastic. Destroyed the Titans, outplayed Walsh and been best on field for our games against the Chooks, Panthers and Bulldogs. He’s actually earning his pay cheque.

Hopefully he can keep it up and we finish the year strong and can build something for 2024.

 

[Apey]

He's been amazing since he went back to fullback. We have two competent halves - not amazing, just competent for the most part, and it's unleashing the Pong. We can 100% put to bed the idea he is not a fullback, even if he doesn't excel at all fullback play.

 

[Woody90]

He might not be able to play in the halves due to his head but he has better vision than most halves running around.

 

[Yosh]

I'm so happy to see him back up and sniff around for off loads. He is so potent when he does that. The past 4 years he would just bum around the ruck and wait for the play to come for him. He is so good to watch this year.

 

[Woody90]

I'm so happy to see him back up and sniff around for off loads. He is so potent when he does that. The past 4 years he would just bum around the ruck and wait for the play to come for him. He is so good to watch this year.

On the Matty Johns show last week he credited that to the 5/8 switch. Said before he didn’t understand how the plays unfolded so he’d just stand behind the ruck and wait for something to happen, but he said moving to 5/8 taught him how plays unfold so now he can insert himself better from fullback.

Seems like it wasn’t so much bumming around but more not understanding the play. Just a shame we don’t have a coach smart enough to work out he didn’t know what he was doing.

 

[Yosh]

On the Matty Johns show last week he credited that to the 5/8 switch. Said before he didn’t understand how the plays unfolded so he’d just stand behind the ruck and wait for something to happen, but he said moving to 5/8 taught him how plays unfold so now he can insert himself better from fullback.

Seems like it wasn’t so much bumming around but more not understanding the play. Just a shame we don’t have a coach smart enough to work out he didn’t know what he was doing.

Damn... He has been in first grade 5 or 6 years but noone taught him???

 

[perverse]

On the Matty Johns show last week he credited that to the 5/8 switch. Said before he didn’t understand how the plays unfolded so he’d just stand behind the ruck and wait for something to happen, but he said moving to 5/8 taught him how plays unfold so now he can insert himself better from fullback.

Seems like it wasn’t so much bumming around but more not understanding the play. Just a shame we don’t have a coach smart enough to work out he didn’t know what he was doing.

Remarkable if true - from both him and the coach tbh. He should be putting his hand up to learn, and the coach should be identifying the problem.

 

[Woody90]

Remarkable if true - from both him and the coach tbh. He should be putting his hand up to learn, and the coach should be identifying the problem.

Yeah I was quite shocked myself. That’s not just on AOB as he’s also played under Brown, Cowboys coaches and junior coaches and tbh mainly on Ponga himself. At least they’ve figured it out now though.

 

[Jono078]

I'm going with a hot take here..

Ponga will go close in Dally M voting.

I know he missed a good chunk of footy but I'm sure he would have collected a fair chunk of points in the last 6 weeks, even in a couple of losses. I'm positive he's collected 12 points from his last 2 games.

 

[perverse]

I'm going with a hot take here..

Ponga will go close in Dally M voting.

I know he missed a good chunk of footy but I'm sure he would have collected a fair chunk of points in the last 6 weeks, even in a couple of losses. I'm positive he's collected 12 points from his last 2 games.

If he's really turned the corner as far as consistency and maturity go, and there's definitely signs that he has, then he'll win one eventually for sure. This year might be a stretch, but who knows if we go on a tear from here.

He's finally looking like a bloke that really wants to be an elite footballer, rather than just a kid with the talent to be one. No-one has to talk about the freakish things KP does at training in press conferences anymore, because he's doing them on the field every week.

 

[Jono078]

He'll be climbing that ladder again after this game.

 

[Zoidberg]

Knowing how well Melbourne would’ve prepared to handle him and he still tore them apart. Glad to see him go so well after a rough few years with his head knocks.

 

[Jono078]

I still hold my breath that he can be taken out in any game and it’ll truly derail any chance we have. But it’s great and a real pleasure to watch him play now. The real Ponga has arrived. He’s putting it all together now. Smarts, efforts, leadership.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Loving the fact he has worked out what a fullback is supposed to do. World is his oyster now. A shame it took 3 years for him not to loiter at the ruck, but thankfully the penny has dropped.

 

[Old dog]

He’s got lots of pennies to drop

 

[Apey]

In possibly the best form of his career. Keep playing like this you champ.

 

[Yosh]

Never doubted him.

 

[Jono078]

Never doubted him.

I did, so it's even more of a joy to witness this. There were some serious fears he had to consider retirement just months ago. Then imagine coming back from that and knowing 1 more knock may have just forced that..

He's honestly having a legendary patch of footy right now.