Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has revealed Kalyn Ponga “will certainly come into calculations” for a shock World Cup call-up, despite a long concussion lay-off and his toilet cubicle incident.
Ponga’s immediate playing future is clouded due to the twin dramas, with the NRL’s integrity unit launching a probe after Ponga and Newcastle teammate Kurt Mann were escorted out of a toilet cubicle last weekend. The pair have subsequently been target-tested for illicit substances.
Even if Ponga is cleared of wrongdoing, he will face a long sabbatical after being ordered to rest following a concussion he suffered on July 22. However, league officials are trying to organise a Prime Minister’s XIII match for the first time since 2019, which will probably be staged in the third week of the NRL finals series.
The fixture, which had been shelved due to COVID, could provide Ponga with valuable match practice and a platform to stake a claim for a spot in Australia’s World Cup squad.
Meninga said Ponga would be considered if deemed fit and available.
Kalyn Ponga was outstanding in Queensland’s Origin series win, but little else has gone right this season.Credit:Getty
“He was the victorious Queensland fullback, he will certainly come into calculations,” Meninga said. “I don’t think because of a lack of games that you’re any less of a player.
“When you look at the World Cup, we’ve got Fiji, Scotland and Italy. I’m pretty comfortable putting in players who haven’t played for a while, and that’s including players from the bottom eight.
“They will be able to get their match fitness up in those three games, there’s no doubt about that. If we’ve got the PM’s [clash], that’s four games. When it comes to the selection process, they need to be ratified by the game itself, but Kalyn might not get to that stage because the club and the specialist might say he’s better off having a good rest.”
Meninga said Ponga and Tom Trbojevic would be considered for the World Cup if available, although the Manly fullback has indicated he is unlikely to recover from shoulder surgery in time.
“I would want them to play in the PM’s game, but I would need to get approval from their club and the specialist,” he said.
“Sometimes you need to take it out of the hands of the players. I know Tommy would love to play for Australia. I’ll make some phone calls over the next couple of weeks to their clubs and see where things are out, what their thoughts are. We can make some decisions once the season stops.”
Kalyn Ponga has suffered a number of concussions in 2022 and will miss the final six games of the season to recover.Credit:Getty
It has been a horror period for the Knights, who have been embroiled in a number of incidents in recent weeks: Bradman Best and Enari Tuala have been stood down from Sunday’s clash with Newcastle for “not meeting team standards”; David Klemmer received a breach notice for not complying with the directions of a trainer; and there were allegations that a prominent staffer made an inappropriate remark to an Indigenous reserve-grade player.
However, Ponga has copped most of the flak after allegedly drinking to the point of intoxication at a time when he is recovering from head knocks serious enough to prematurely cut short his NRL season.
“He’s a young bloke; I don’t want to make excuses for him, he doesn’t want that,” Knights coach Adam O’Brien said during his pre-game press conference.
“For Kalyn, it’s about helping the team prepare and trying to win back a little bit of respect and trust from teammates.”
Ponga consulted with Dr Chris Levi – a neurologist who has treated Boyd Cordner, Tim Glasby and many other NRL players after repeated head knocks – after coming from the field five times this year for head injury assessments. Levi told the Herald earlier this month that players who have typically had that number of head knocks generally need six to eight weeks to recover, which could result in Ponga being available for the World Cup if he didn’t have any post-concussive symptoms.
