Kalyn Ponga Overcomes Mental Hurdles to Lead Knights to Victory
Kalyn Ponga has opened up about the mental challenge he faced in bouncing back from his State of Origin incident, which ultimately led the Knights to a hard-fought 28-22 win over the Eels. Ponga managed to escape with a fine for his grade-two shoulder charge on Tolu Koula during Origin I, but showed no signs of any lingering mental strain in his performance at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Dylan Lucas, fresh off his time in Origin camp with New South Wales, delivered an outstanding display for Newcastle, scoring two tries and proving to be a constant threat on the left edge against Parramatta’s half Ronald Volkman. Fellow NSW Blue Jacob Saifiti also made a significant impact, showing his usual menace on the field.
The Knights (8-4) have now won four consecutive matches, accumulating a total of 150 points in the process, and are currently sitting in fourth place on the ladder midway through the season.
“It was more mentally demanding,” Ponga reflected on the challenge of recovering from the emotional night of Origin just three days prior. “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 mentally like the build-up of Origin, obviously the way Origin unfolded, and then to sort of 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 scored two tries in the first half, with the Knights heading into the break leading 12-10. The second half started poorly for the Eels, as Newcastle’s bench hooker Harrison Graham exploited a weak defense to score a 50-meter try under the posts in the 44th minute.
What followed was a challenging period where both sides struggled to maintain possession, resulting in seven handling errors within 10 minutes. When the handling errors slowed down, Lucas scored his second try for the Knights, only for Jordan Samrani to respond with a try for the Eels. Fletcher Hunt extended the lead, but Isaiah Iongi set up a dramatic finish with a try in the final six minutes.
Parramatta coach Jason Ryles expressed disappointment after the loss, acknowledging the effort put in by his young side. However, he pointed out that execution let them down. “I reckon we left probably four tries out there that were genuine tries,” Ryles said. “Another week of lessons, and just little moments in games that are so important that are fundamental, which hurts, but it’s part of the journey.”
Roosters Star Signs with PNG Chiefs
Connor Watson, a star player for the Roosters, has become the third player to sign with the Papua New Guinea Chiefs. Watson is contracted to the Roosters for next year but has been given permission to explore other options. He will join the Chiefs on a two-year deal starting in 2028, though he is likely to seek a “gap year” at another NRL club next season.
This potential stopover is expected to be at St George Illawarra, according to sources not authorized to comment, although other clubs have also shown interest in a 12-month term. Chiefs chief executive Lorna McPherson recently took Watson and his partner on a tour of Port Moresby to give them an understanding of the lifestyle. The pair were sufficiently impressed with their experience to commit to the franchise.
Watson joins Wests Tigers co-captain Jarome Luai and record-breaking South Sydney winger Alex Johnston as high-profile Chiefs recruits. This marks a strong start for the Chiefs, who are expected to become a major player in the market when a slew of big names become free agents in November. Many Panthers stars, including Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin, Brian To’o, Moses Leota, Mitch Kenny, and Isaiah Papali’i, could be among them if they do not recommit to Penrith beforehand.
Watson can play at hooker and lock, as well as cover several positions from the bench. The Chiefs believe he also brings leadership qualities to the team. The Dragons have held talks with Watson and he is likely to join Scott Drinkwater, Keaon Koloamatangi, Luke Metcalf, and Phillip Sami as a 2027 recruit.
The Chiefs have also made another key off-field appointment, naming former NRL and Super League player Rhyse Martin as football operations manager. During his playing career, Martin represented the Bulldogs, English clubs Leeds and Hull KR, and Papua New Guinea in 18 Tests. He also captained the Kumuls.
“Rhyse has had an incredible career as a player, but he still has so much to offer the sport,” said Chiefs general manager of football Michael Chammas. “He has the trust of our coach Willie Peters from their time together at Hull KR and they will continue to work closely. Anyone who has ever met Rhyse will talk about the quality of person he is and how passionate he is about Papua New Guinea. The combination of those two things makes him such an important off-field signing.”
