Kalyn Ponga has met with super coach Wayne Bennett following Friday night’s loss to the Sharks.
In the strongest indication the superstar fullback is seriously considering quitting the Newcastle Knights, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal Ponga had lunch with Bennett at a secret location in Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
Redcliffe CEO Terry Reader and recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan were also at the meeting.
The Knights skipper has become the No.1 target for the Dolphins following the decisions by Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant to remain at Melbourne Storm.
The details of Ponga’s meeting with Bennett are being kept hush-hush.
We were at first met with a terse “no comment” from a Dolphins official when asking for more details of their meeting. Ponga’s father Andre, who acts as his manager, did not return phone calls. Later in the afternoon Reader spoke to The Sunday Telegraph.
“We’re constantly talking to players about building our squad,” he said. “There’s a lot of moving pieces. We’re in negotiations every day with players and agents.
“We just don’t comment on these talks. We want the best players like the other 16 clubs. We’re doing everything we can to assemble the best roster we can.”
Ponga’s situation in Newcastle is getting more difficult each week. He went back to Newcastle on the team bus after the loss to the Sharks then returned to Sydney on Saturday morning.
With the contract speculation obviously a distraction, the Knights skipper had a poor game against the Sharks. In fairness, he is playing with heavy strapping on a knee injury that affects his lateral movement.
The Knights are understood to have offered Ponga more than $1.2 million a year to remain in Newcastle.
