Kalyn Ponga will make his anticipated return in a fortnight, having fully recovered from his latest concussion.
After consulting with local and overseas specialists, Ponga’s next NRL appearance will be against North Queensland in round eight. His return will be a huge boost for an injury-ravaged Newcastle side that has been competitive in his absence, notching two wins as well as a draw against Manly last weekend.
Ponga recently flew to Canada, where he availed himself of concussion testing technology not currently available in Australia. After undergoing an advanced neurophysiological assessment in Vancouver, the Maroons star has been cleared to resume his career.
“We are comfortable with the objective evidence from our independent testing, indicating normalisation of his cognitive function,” said Knights director of football, Peter Parr.
“Kalyn has recovered well from his recent concussion, however he has had limited specific training due to the amount of travel he has had to undertake in recent weeks.
“We will now focus on building his physical and tactical performance, with an aim to return in round eight against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.”
Kalyn Ponga is close to an NRL return.Credit: Getty Images
There were fears about Ponga’s immediate playing future after he suffered his fourth concussion in 10 months during his side’s opening-round win over Wests Tigers. However, he will mark his 100th NRL appearance against his former club in Townsville.
Which position he plays will be a big talking point in the lead-up to Ponga’s return. Coach Adam O’Brien shifted the 25-year-old from fullback to five-eighth for the 2023 campaign, a move that Ponga was keen to make. However, there is a feeling he could be more susceptible to head knocks in the front line, where he is required to do more in defence.
