Immortal and Newcastle legend Andrew Johns is backing Kalyn Ponga to handle the move to five-eighth, but warned: “The big test will be in defence”.
Knights fans will finally get to see Ponga at five-eighth alongside Jackson Hastings when he is expected to play the opening 40 minutes against Parramatta on Friday.
There were whispers Ponga might miss the second and final trial because of a calf complaint, but coach Adam O’Brien confirmed Ponga had survived a gruelling training session on Friday and would play.
Ponga was moved into the halves for the start of the 2019 season, but then-coach Nathan Brown shifted the Queenslander back to fullback after only three rounds.
O’Brien was grateful to have had five months to get the transition right, and Johns is backing it to be a success.
“What Kalyn did at club level and in Origin last year – his game in attack will not change much with him moving from fullback to five-eighth,” Johns told The Sun-Herald.
“He does things now at training where you just shake your head because he’s so good. He’s an exceptional talent.
Kalyn Ponga will play around 40 minutes in the No. 6 on Friday.Credit:Getty
“But the big test for Kalyn will be defence. He’s got timing, he’s got the footwork, and that’s the recipe you need to be a good defender. He’ll get it done.”
If Ponga can make it work in the halves, it will almost determine if the Knights play finals football. Some will wonder why the Hunter club weakened one position to strengthen another.
O’Brien, however, loves what he has seen, and had good reason to believe Ponga’s combination with new recruit Hastings would be a success.
“They’re yin and yang: one is the complete footy head who is very comfortable in directing the team, and the other is a freelancer who wants to freelance, so they marry up well,” O’Brien said.
“In the past we would have had six weeks to get this right, but we’ve had five months. And if you’re going to make the change, you might as well take five months.
“He’s put size on in the gym, he’s done a heap of contact and a heap of general-play kicking. He’ll float [in games] and we won’t lock him into one side of the field.”
Hastings joked he thought Ponga was the coolest man on the planet when viewing his photos on social media.
Jackson Hastings debuted in the Newcastle No. 7 on Friday night
“And when you meet him, he actually is the coolest bloke in the world, but with the work ethic to match,” Hastings said.
“The first day I walked into the sheds at training he came in with a bright pink singlet on, hat backwards, I was just trying to drink my coffee and he gave me this big hug like we’d known each other for years.
“I know he gives off that persona that he’s too cool for school, and he’s just relaxed, but he loves the game. He just has such a raw, natural talent that you just have to put him in positions to watch him go to work.”
Lachie Miller, who was signed from Cronulla a few weeks ago, will also get his shot at fullback, which has helped pave the way for O’Brien to persevere with Ponga’s move.
