‘No pressure’ on Ponga

If it was up to Kalyn Ponga’s father, the North Queensland young gun would have pledged his allegiance to the black and white jersey a long time ago.

However, Andre Ponga isn’t putting any pressure on his 18-year-old son to turn his back on Australia.

Eligible for both trans-Tasman rivals, Kalyn is widely viewed as the hottest young prospect in the NRL and his reputation was only enhanced following last week’s dazzling first-grade debut in the Cowboys’ finals win over the Broncos.

The fleet-footed fullback has both the Kiwis and Kangaroos, not to mention Queensland, clamouring for his services and last year was included in former coach Stephen Kearney’s train-on squad to get a taste of the Kiwis’ culture.

But having come through the Australian system, he is genuinely torn by which way to go.

‘‘It’s no secret that when you have options you’re going to have that pressure. I think he’s mature with it and he’s just allowing that to take its course,’’ Andre Ponga said.

‘‘My heritage and his mum’s heritage is Kiwi and Maori but it’s got to be his choice. Family supports him no matter what.’’

The seriousness with which Kalyn is taking the matter was shown earlier this year when he knocked back both the New Zealand and Australia under-20s sides to mull over his future.

A decision will have to be made sooner rather than later.

But as much as he would like to see him commit to New Zealand, Andre admits the lure of State of Origin may be too hard to resist.

‘‘What I’ve learned through him is these boys have been brought up with the pride of the Queensland jumper.

‘‘In league terms here, the Queensland jumper’s just as big as the All Black jumper back home.’’

Born in Australia, Kalyn was seven when he moved to Palmerston North with his Kiwi parents, before returning to Australia five years later. He has always been an all-rounder, excelling in several sports growing up, including football and touch.

But it was in winning the New Zealand under-13 national golf championship – a world away from the league fields of Townsville – that his father first realised he had the mentality to flourish as a professional.

‘‘Basically, he was a 12-year-old and his focus wasn’t golf – he loved his touch and he loved his soccer,’’ Andre recalled.

‘‘Prior to that tournament, he gave himself six weeks to train and practise for it. Then he came out and won the championship over boys who eat and live golf.’’

Andre initially thought Kalyn’s future lay in football, but his My heritage and his mum’s heritage is Kiwi and Maori. parents never pushed him towards one sport. And it’s clearly served him well. ‘‘At the end of the day we’ve just brought him up that as long as the kids are happy in whatever they want to do.

‘‘And that’s why he’s probably fortunate to be where he is now because he’s had opportunities to do other sports where that’s all we’ve encouraged really.’’

Indeed, Kalyn’s international future isn’t the only big decision he has to make in the coming months.

Off contract with North Queensland at the end of the year, his signature is set to be one of the most hotly contested in Australian sport.

Prior to joining the Cowboys, Kalyn was pursued by four NRL clubs, plus Super Rugby’s Queensland Reds and the AFL’s Brisbane Lions, who this week again signalled their interest in the teenage sensation.