Kalyn Ponga has opened up about the mental challenges he faced following his controversial State of Origin appearance, which ultimately helped him refocus and lead the Knights to a hard-fought 28-22 victory over the resilient Eels.
Ponga narrowly avoided any serious consequences for his grade-two shoulder charge on Tolu Koula during Origin I, but he showed no signs of lingering mental strain in his performance at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday. The game saw Ponga deliver a typical energetic display, while Dylan Lucas, who had just returned from Origin camp with New South Wales, played a pivotal role for Newcastle by scoring two tries and consistently troubling Parramatta’s half Ronald Volkman.
Jacob Saifiti, another NSW representative, also made a significant impact, adding to the Knights’ attacking threat. With this win, the Knights (8-4) have now secured four consecutive victories, amassing 150 points in the process and climbing to fourth place on the ladder mid-season.
Reflecting on the challenge of bouncing back so quickly after an emotionally intense Origin match, Ponga admitted that the mental aspect was more demanding than the physical.
“It was more mentally demanding,” Ponga said. “Physically, I actually felt pretty good out there, which is a credit to our staff and the way they handled the last 48 hours. It’s all mental—like the build-up of Origin, how it unfolded, and then trying to park it and mentally prepare for another game.
“I think now that I’m older, I’m probably better at doing it, but yeah, it’s all mental. I was excited to get back around the boys, around my teammates. Probably selfishly, I wanted to play with my mates. I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines. I wanted to be out there.”
Both teams were evenly matched in the first half, with each side scoring two tries, leaving the Knights ahead 12-10 at halftime. However, the second half started poorly for the Eels, as Newcastle’s bench hooker Harrison Graham exploited a weak defensive line to score a 50-metre try from dummy half in the 44th minute.
The game then descended into chaos, with both sides struggling to maintain possession. In a 10-minute span, seven handling errors were committed, leading to a series of missed opportunities. Dylan Lucas eventually scored his second try for the Knights, only for Jordan Samrani to respond with a try for the Eels. Fletcher Hunt extended the lead once again, but Isaiah Iongi managed to create a dramatic finish with a try in the final six minutes.
Parramatta coach Jason Ryles expressed disappointment at the loss, acknowledging the effort put in by his young team, despite their lack of experience due to several key players being unavailable, including Mitch Moses and skipper Junior Paulo.
“It’s disappointing in the end,” Ryles said. “I thought we tried really hard, the effort was there, we fought really hard, but unfortunately execution let us down.
“I reckon we left probably four tries out there that were genuine tries, so another week of lessons. These are little moments in games that are so important, and they hurt, but it’s part of the journey. We’ve got to keep fighting hard and working hard to make sure we don’t let that happen.”
Ryles also highlighted the youth of his squad, noting that they are focused on what they can control—preparation each week. He praised the effort shown by the players, even though they faced challenges.
“They’re trying their hearts out, and they’re getting some lessons with the big boys, so it’s all part of it. We had a mini bus bring our injured blokes up today, that’s kind of where we’re at. To produce the effort and the fight that the boys did out there today, I’m really proud of them.”
