Kalyn Ponga Expresses Regret Over State of Origin Send-Off
Kalyn Ponga, the Newcastle Knights star, has openly admitted that he feels responsible for Queensland’s dramatic collapse in the opening match of the State of Origin series. The fullback was sent off late in the game after a controversial shoulder charge on Tolu Koula, which ultimately led to the Maroons’ 22-20 loss to New South Wales at Accor Stadium.
Ponga, who had blood dripping from his ear following the incident, became just the seventh player in Origin history to be sent off. Despite the controversy, he avoided a ban and instead paid a $6900 fine for the charge, which significantly impacted the outcome of the match.
“I’m not proud of it,” Ponga said during a press conference. “The boys had to work a lot harder because of me being off the field so that is something I am not proud of. But s**t happens.”
He acknowledged the emotional toll of watching his team struggle without him on the field. “At the end of the day it was my action that forced the boys to work extra hard. So there is a level of responsibility there. For it to come down to the last minute and a half, it’s pretty heartbreaking. I was the reason it happened.”
The loss was particularly painful for Ponga as NSW’s match-winning moment came with James Tedesco leaping over stand-in Maroons fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. Queensland now faces an uphill battle to retain the Origin shield, needing to win in Melbourne and Brisbane after coming back from 1-0 down to win the series last year.
Controversial Referee Decision
Referee Ashley Klein’s decision to send Ponga off will go down as one of the most significant calls in Origin history. The fact that Ponga avoided a ban with a grade-two charge has raised several questions about the incident.
Queensland argued on the field that the contact was merely a head clash, as the Maroons fullback rushed across to shut down Koula as the flyer burst into space. Klein could be heard telling the bunker he believed it was a send-off, while NSW legend Andrew Johns and Queensland great Cameron Smith protested the call in Nine’s commentary.
Koula will miss two matches for Manly due to concussion, while Ponga is free to play for Newcastle given the NRL offers greater leniency in Origin. Ponga confirmed after the match that the blood dripping from his ear had come from the contact with Koula.
He also revealed that he did not realize he had been sent off until he was back in the sheds. However, he would not comment on whether he believed it was a fair call.
“I thought it was 10 minutes (in the sin bin) and they might have assessed me for a head knock,” Ponga said. “But it is what it is and the ref made the call. The refs are refs. They will make their decision. But I am not going to try and persuade them, that’s not my job.”
Reactions from Coaches and Players
Queensland coach Billy Slater insisted following fulltime he had no issue with the call, while Maroons veteran Pat Carrigan claimed the fullback had been unlucky.
“It’s tough. That’s the way the dice rolls,” Carrigan said. “I thought he had a head clash, he had claret coming from the ear. He felt that too. But that’s just what it is, you have to deal with it.”
“I trust KP, I trust his gut, and unfortunately that was the decision that was made and you have to live with it.”
