Kalyn Ponga Has Fitness Tests to Pass Before Saturday, and Dane Gagai Says His Toughness Is Never in Question
Kalyn Ponga will have to pass fitness tests this week before New Zealand can pick him for Saturday’s World Cup semi-final against Tonga. If he plays, it will be 23 days after he broke his left arm.
Ponga trained at fullback on Tuesday, news.com.au reported, and is a strong chance to play a week earlier than anyone expected when he had surgery.
“He’ll put his head in most places”
Dane Gagai has played alongside Ponga at the Knights for the last five seasons. He said the decision now sits with the physios.
“That’ll just come down to the boxes he’ll have to tick with the physios and stuff, but one thing that’s never in question is Kalyn’s toughness, and I don’t think he gets enough credit or praise for it,” Gagai said, as reported by AAP.
“Some of the games he’s played with injury. It was only maybe a year or two ago with his AC and getting that injected, but he’ll put his head in most places that people won’t put their hands.” Stuff reported that the AC joint injury came late in the 2023 season, when Newcastle made the finals.
Gagai also said Ponga would not put himself ahead of the side. “He won’t put himself before the team, but we’d obviously love to have him out there.”
Twenty-three days is not unheard of
Stuff pointed to two recent cases with a similar broken arm. Jahrome Hughes came back 22 days later to play for Melbourne in a grand final qualifier last year. Blayke Brailey returned for Cronulla after 23 days this year, the same gap Ponga would have on Saturday.
Hughes is in the same Kiwis camp, and NBN News reported that Ponga has been leaning on him this week. Coach Stacey Jones is giving him every chance to be fit, according to NBN, though Jones has not said how likely it is that he plays.
Ponga broke the radius in his left forearm in the 24-22 loss to Australia on 15 October and played on for about 20 minutes, scoring twice. Our report from that night has the details, and our story from Tuesday covers his selection at No.21 on the extended bench.
What it means for Kini
If Ponga plays, Keano Kini is expected to make way, Stuff reported. Kini scored twice in the 78-0 win over Fiji. Prop Moses Leota was smiling when he was asked about Ponga on Tuesday. “He’s a world-class player. To have him back in the team would be special. Hopefully, he plays this weekend,” he said.
It would not be a gentle return. Stuff noted that Ponga would be fielding Isaiya Katoa’s kicks with Tonga’s defence rushing at him, and that he would be targeted.
A first final since 2013 is on the line
New Zealand have won the World Cup once, in 2008. They have not reached a final since losing to Australia in Manchester in 2013. The semi-final is at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle at 8.05pm AEDT on Saturday, with Phoenix Crossland also a chance to come in after Jacob Laban was ruled out.
Our Kalyn Ponga page keeps his injury timeline and contract in one place, and the World Cup table has how every team got to the semi-finals.
