Kalyn’s league pledge
KALYN Ponga has outlined his dream to be a 10-year Maroon in a blow to rugby union’s hopes of poaching the NRL superstar.
Ponga has been tight-lipped about his future in the NRL following last week’s revelations that Wallabies coach Michael Cheika contacted the Queensland fullback last year to sound out his interest in rugby.
Ponga’s father Andre was born in New Zealand, meaning the Maroons custodian would be eligible for both the Wallabies and All Blacks if he embarked on a cross-code defection.
Ponga is contracted to Newcastle until the end of 2021 and former Queensland skipper Darren Lockyer believes the 21-year-old has the potential to be the Maroons’ matchwinner for the next decade.
Ponga plays his third Origin game tomorrow night in Game Two at Perth’s Optus Stadium and has no plans to walk out on the NRL. He admits the culture of the Queensland team is so special he hopes to live up to Lockyer’s assessment of becoming a 10-year Maroon.
“That would be nice for me to achieve, that would be awesome,” Ponga said.
“I need to keep working hard to keep this jumper. I don’t take it for granted.
“This Queensland jumper means everything to me. I have never experienced it before, ever. I have never had that sense of belonging in sport.
“After that win the other week (Queensland’s 18-14 win in Game One, I have never experienced that euphoria and mateship in my life.
“Family means everything to me after what I’ve been through (the passing of his brother Kacey as a toddler) and so the family aspect is huge. This Queensland side is not just a footy family, it’s like a real sense of family for me.”
Ponga played rugby union as a 15-year-old at Brisbane’s Anglican Church Grammar.
The attacking whiz could earn more than $2 million annually if he switched to rugby union, telling a New Zealand television station last year he would not rule out one day chasing an All Blacks jumper.
But, for now, Ponga says there are too many boxes to tick in rugby league. “I haven’t really done anything in rugby league yet,” he said.