Ponga hits big stage and shows he belongs

QUEENSLAND debutant Kalyn Ponga has guaranteed himself a long future in the Maroons jersey, after making a solid debut at ANZ Stadium last night.

While the 20- year- old whiz- kid could not help inspire Queensland to the much- needed win, he did plenty to show he is an Origin star in the making.

It was never his job to be the saviour, but at least he can be the hope moving forward.

After a gritty introduction to Origin football in the first half, Ponga brought his attacking flair in the second stanza, showing quickly how well he could gel with his new teammates, particularly Billy Slater.

It was a fitting display from the pair, with Slater the man who made all the difference for Queensland last night.

For Maroons fans, it was a chance to celebrate the veteran fullback ahead of his looming Origin retirement but also an insight into the future. That future is Ponga. When he ran out into ANZ Stadium, he looked cool and calm. He did a 360 degree turn, clearly taking in the atmosphere and the hostile crowd.

For the first 28 minutes he watched from the sideline, before being brought into the action for Jarrod Wallace.

A lot of questions were asked during the week as to how Queensland would use Ponga and how many minutes he would get.

The trust that coach Kevin Walters had in the young talent, however, was clear, as he played for a surprising 53 minutes in a similar role to Queensland’s utilities of the past.

While he is known for the excitement he brings in attack – producing a brilliant run in the 69th minute in the lead up to James Roberts’ sin- binning – Ponga also impressed in defence.

A number of critics doubted he would be up to the task of matching NSW in the middle of the field and he will not shy away from the fact he missed five tackles.

But he was not alone in that and he also made an inspiring 26 tackles.

He had one hiccup after just two minutes on the field, when the overeager Ponga was penalised for being offside, but also produced one particularly massive hit on Tom Trbojevic in the dying minutes of the first half.

Kalyn Ponga, welcome to State of Origin.