Kalyn Ponga injury sparks $7m NRL disaster for Knights as glaring detail called out

Kalyn Ponga's latest injury blow has exposed a glaring issue at the Newcastle Knights, with concerns mounting about what it means for the club's NRL season. The Knights confirmed on Monday that Ponga is set to undergo surgery and reportedly spend at least three months on the sidelines after scans revealed a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot.

Ponga will have further consultations with medical specialists to determine his best course of action but will likely spend at least 12 weeks on the sidelines. That means he'll play no part in this years's State of Origin series and is not likely to make a return to the NRL until round 19 or 20 at the earliest.

It's a devastating blow for the 2023 Dally M Medal winner and the Knights, who have a massive chunk of their salary cap tied up in their captain and marquee star. Ponga is on a five-year, $1.4 million per-season deal with Newcastle, meaning the club has $7 million tied up in just one player.

That's left the club light in other areas such as their halves, with coach Adam O'Brien unable to settle on his best combination so far this season. O'Brien has dropped and brought back in Jackson Hastings and Jack Cogger alongside Tyson Gamble in the first seven rounds, but the Knights halves have failed to get their attack clicking and now have to try and spark something without their best player.

Kalyn Ponga injury exposes squad issues at Newcastle

Speaking about the situation on NRL 360 on Monday night, co-host Paul Kent said he was worried the Knights could now be wooden spoon contenders without their talismanic skipper. “The problem is they spent so much money on their fullback, there wasn’t much money to go and get a halfback... managing their cap,” Kent said. “They’ve just got to go away and simplify their footy. Don’t finesse their way to a win, don’t miss your tackle, all that sort of stuff...

“If they make the finals they have done better than par, I don’t think they can make the semis but I think they are a chance (of winning the wooden spoon). They have lost the dominance of Kalyn, they are unsettled in the halves and are still trying to find their groove. Whatever they were doing last year hasn’t been re-found this year.

“Now they have got to go away and readjust their style, they are going to have to find a new style because they won’t have this guy for three months. They have to play differently, they have three trying to get into two at the moment in the halves, they have to go away and find a new blueprint.”

Concerns Newcastle are too reliant on Kalyn Ponga

Even with Ponga in their side earlier this season, the Knights have struggled and are languishing in 15th spot with two wins and five losses. Newcastle's form was equally patchy last season before Ponga's Dally M Medal-winning displays inspired a stunning 10-match winning streak and march into the semi-finals. But league great Braith Anasta is concerned the Knights are too reliant on one player and worries what Ponga's extended absence will mean for their NRL season.

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“That’s a concern for me, I don’t think any club can win a competition off the back of just one player, teams are too good,” Anasta said. “So they depend on him that much, you need him in the side, but you can’t win a premiership with just one player you depend on.

“Look at Jarryd Hayne when he carried Parramatta, they still couldn’t win the competition... he can win games but he can’t win a premiership.” Veteran league journalist Phil Rothfield agreed: “I think he’s the most influential player at one club in the competition... he leads so much of that club and that’s why he earns ridiculous money”.