Knights paying price for star on sidelines
IT IS the $1.6 million salarycap “Knightmare” as Queensland Origin star Kalyn Ponga fights to save his NRL career at Newcastle.
The head-spinning salary stands to make Ponga the highest-paid player in NRL history if he can overcome his concussion concerns to continue a long-term career at the Knights.
Ponga has not been named for Sunday’s clash with Canberra after suffering a head knock against the Wests Tigers in round 2. It was his fourth concussion in 10 months.
Given the number of head-trauma injuries, the Knights are understandably taking every precaution with Ponga and will not rush his return until every medical avenue is exhausted.
There is another reason why the Knights are taking no risks.
They have invested heavily in Ponga like few clubs have in an individual in NRL history.
Ponga is viewed as the centrepiece around which Newcastle is hoping to construct another premiership dynasty and is being paid accordingly.
If Ponga can make it back on the field – and stay there consistently for the coming seasons – he will supplant Nathan Cleary, James Tedesco, Ben Hunt, Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic as rugby league’s No.1 salary earner.
When Ponga was off-contract last year, the Knights were terrified of losing him to cashed-up suitors such as the Dolphins. They ultimately won the bidding war – Ponga inked a five-year extension – but it didn’t come cheaply.
It is understood the Maroons maestro’s salary rises to $1.5m in 2025 and reaches $1.6m by the final year of his deal in 2027.
That figure is extraordinary when you consider Cleary, widely considered the code’s No.1 player and halfback, is on $1.3m and has taken a pay cut in the following seasons to keep Penrith’s premiership squad together.