The King anoints Ponga the man to save Maroons
QUEENSLAND legend Wally Lewis says the time is now to pick Kalyn Ponga for Origin.
Ponga’s potential selection has become one of the biggest talking points heading into the second clash in Sydney, as the Maroons look to keep the series and their dominance alive.
Maroons coach Kevin Walters made seven changes ahead of game two last year after they were heavily beaten in the series opener, and changes are again forecast in the search for Maroons points. Lewis said Ponga had to be one of those changes.
“This kid has something special about him,” Lewis said. “There’s always been that line used, it mightn’t be a good time to select him, he’s not old enough for State of Origin football. But as Arthur Beetson would say if you’re good enough then you are old enough.
“If he was picked in the team it would be with the full confidence of a lot of Queenslanders including me being one of them.”
Lewis’ comments come as Blues coach Brad Fittler declared Ponga was an Origin player for the next 10 years.
The 20- year- old whizkid was called into the Maroons’ squad after Billy Slater was ruled out injured, but Walters opted for Michael Morgan at fullback and Anthony Milford on the bench.
In his first full season in the NRL, Ponga leads the NRL for tackle busts ( 75) and linebreak assists ( 17), while he has also set up 12 tries and scored four of his own.
“There’s no doubt he is going to play 10 years of Origin. It’s no fluke this first year,” Fittler said.
“There’s just the way he saves tries more than he scores them. He puts his body on the line. He got belted last week and he just got straight back to his feet. He’s a good player.” TITANS firebrand Keegan Hipgrave has appealed for NRL referees to put their whistles away and let players “play footy” after he became the first man in 16 years to be sin- binned twice in one game.
Hipgrave was sent for two 10- minute spells in the Gold Coast’s 18- 16 loss to South Sydney last Friday for minor infringements.
Both sin- binnings occurred after Gold Coast captain Ryan James was warned his team had conceded too many penalties in a short period and the next player to infringe, no matter the offence, would be disciplined.
Hipgrave, who has been suspended twice in just 11 first grade games, said players were fed- up with the penalty- fest the NRL had become after the Titans lost a 12- 4 penalty count.
“We just want to play footy,” he said.
“It was disappointing and frustrating, especially the second time coming off.”