Newcastle’s million-dollar man Kalyn Ponga is set to return to five-eighth as Olympic Sevens convert Lachlan Miller inches closer to a move up the F1 from Cronulla to play fullback.
Knights coach Adam O’Brien confirmed on Tuesday that Ponga’s transition back to the halves – a role he briefly flirted with at the start of 2019 – has been in progress since a spate of concussions prematurely ended the skipper’s 2022 season.
Shifting Ponga from the No.1 jersey has prompted Newcastle to make fullback a recruitment priority throughout the off-season, with Miller and Tesi Niu their prime targets until the latter left Brisbane to link with Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins.
Cronulla have previously knocked back the Knights’ attempts to prise Miller, 28, out of the last year of his deal.
But with established fullback Will Kennedy and rising youngster Kade Dykes already on the Sharks’ books, negotiations have continued and Cronulla’s stance on Miller has softened given the prospect of a three-year deal being presented by Newcastle, provided they can land him for this season.
Sources with knowledge of negotiations, who wished to remain anonymous due to direct involvement, have indicated a potential player swap has also been discussed by the two clubs. Cronulla officials have also met with other potential signings to fill Miller’s roster spot.
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has a huge opinion of Miller since he arrived at the club after representing Australia at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and the feeling is mutual given Cronulla backed the Coffs Harbour product’s code-switch.
But with Miller approaching his 30s with a young family and an extended offer in Newcastle, a move could be finalised as early as next week pending the Sharks ability to land a replacement player – not necessarily a fullback.
Speaking on SEN Radio, O’Brien said Ponga’s move to partner Jackson Hastings in the halves is well underway and it’s expected to go ahead even if a No.1 can’t be found in the market.
Englishman Bailey Hodgson and veteran centre Dane Gagai are the club’s current in-house fullback options.
Lachie Miller played seven games for the Sharks in his first season of NRL.Credit:Getty
“When Kalyn was ruled out for the end of the season with his HIA issues, the decision was made then,” O’Brien said.
“If we were ever going to move Kalyn to six, now was the time. Essentially, we’ve had five months to change his training program and he’s obviously put some size on.
“He’s been training at six all summer and he has been doing a really good job at it. We’ve had a number of guys train [at fullback] over the summer such as young Bailey Hodgson who is finally injury free.
“He’s trained there most of the summer alongside guys like Dane Gagai and Tyson Gamble has spent some time back there. Strengthening that fullback spot remains a priority for us.”
Kalyn Ponga has been training at five-eighth since his return from concussion issues in 2022.Credit:Getty Images
Ponga’s availability for the February 11 All Stars clash in Rotorua could well see him step out at five-eighth for the first time in four years for the Maori side. The Knights have made clear they won’t look to keep him in cotton wool for the representative clash.
The 24-year-old’s success in the front line will go a long way to determining fortunes for both Newcastle and O’Brien following a disastrous 2022 campaign that saw the coach’s position come under external scrutiny.
Ponga also had a year to forget after inking a lucrative five-year extension in April, which was then followed by concussion issues and the toilet cubicle drama that came under investigation by the NRL Integrity Unit.
Ponga and teammate Kurt Mann were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing by the NRL and Newcastle.
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