Kalyn Ponga has been dominating the NRL headlines in Australia and New Zealand recently as rumours swirl about a potential move from rugby league to union.
Ponga reportedly wants out of the remaining two years of his Newcastle Knights contract, and he has “engaged” a New Zealand rugby agent. But not all signs are pointing towards a move to this side of the Tasman.
Other reports from across the ditch suggest that the 27-year-old and 2023 Dally M medal winner isn’t heading to New Zealand – where his parents were born – but is instead eyeing a move to France or Japan.
Regardless of where the current Knights skipper ends up, former Warriors coach and Kiwis representative Tony Kemp – who once played for Newcastle – is a bit puzzled.
He told Martin Devlin on the DSPN that Ponga “isn’t strong enough” for the 15-man game, and there is “no way in the world [Ponga’s] going to get stuck in the middle there... you’ve got to get in dark spaces, and he’s just not made for that”.
Comparisons will no doubt be drawn to previous code-switchers too, like Sonny Bill Williams, Brad Thorn, and more recently Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. The first two are arguably the most successful Kiwis to have made the switch, while Tuivasa-Sheck along with Benji Marshall are probably the most infamous.
“When Sonny Bill came in, he was physically big enough to play at second-five and offer something different,” Kemp said. “Technically, he could manage that.”
There are a few crumbs to suggest this is all more than just speculation around Ponga’s future. He has Māori heritage from his father’s side, and famously said back in 2018 that the All Blacks are “the pinnacle” and putting the black jersey on would be “pretty special”.
Add to the mix that a few months back, a member of the New Zealand sporting media claimed on a podcast that the ‘grapevine was saying’ Ponga was already in talks with New Zealand Rugby.
Even if Ponga has his sights on the All Blacks over club rugby in France or Japan, breaking into a squad already deep in backline talent would be no easy feat. The current depth in New Zealand rugby is staggering, with the likes of Damian McKenzie, Caleb Clarke, Emoni Narawa, and Anton Lienert-Brown unlikely to crack the starting side on a regular basis.
So how does Ponga find his way in there?
“Are you going to uproot Will Jordan? Damian McKenzie? Beauden Barrett? Are you going to take Jordie [Barrett] out of second five-eight? I don’t think so,” Kemp rattled off.
“The only reason you’d sign [Ponga] to the NZ Rugby Union is for marketing purposes."
Kemp has another idea of what Ponga should do, and it revolves around staying in the NRL and rugby league as a whole.
“Forget about the All Blacks… I think Kalyn should play for the Kiwis. Find a way to make that work, come back, play some international football and sign a big club deal.”
Kemp’s suggestion does have some merits. Dylan Edwards is the front runner for the Kangaroos number one jumper, with James Tedesco and Reece Walsh – to name two more among a huge crop of top fullbacks in the NRL – also in the selection frame.
One thing is for certain Ponga has options, like any uber-talented footballer who is in the prime of his career. Whether he stays at the Knights, rugby league in general, heads to union, or blazes an entirely new trail, one thing is for sure – Ponga knows how to make headlines.
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