Slater injury opens up door for Ponga
QUEENSLAND coach Kevin Walters has declared Kalyn Ponga is mentally and physically ready for State of Origin as the Newcastle sensation edges closer to a stunning Maroons debut.
Ponga touched down in Melbourne at 9.30pm yesterday with his maiden Maroons jumper tantalisingly within reach following the shock withdrawal of Billy Slater for Origin I tomorrow night.
There are three options unfolding for Ponga.
The 20-year-old whiz-kid will either start at fullback, debut off the bench or be relegated to 18th man as Walters also considers Broncos pivot Anthony Milford.
Milford arrived in Camp Maroon last night three hours before Ponga, who is banging down the door to an Origin baptism after his sizzling start to the season at his new club the Knights.
Queensland fullback great Gary Belcher last month called for the Maroons to blood the precocious Ponga.
Walters insists the attacking whiz, who has played 22 NRL games, would not be fazed by an Origin debut in front of 80,000 fans.
“We’ll make a final decision (today) but I haven’t brought Ponga here to fill up the water bottles,” Walters said. “He’s a great talent and I have no doubt he could handle whatever is thrown his way. He has shown a real maturity beyond his years this season. He’s definitely being considered to debut.”
Slater, who will miss the series opener with a hamstring injury, lauded the NRL form of $3 million wonder boy Ponga.
“Kalyn has been great this year,” he said.
“The beauty is we have a few options, I’m not too sure which way Kevvie and the selectors will go. Whichever way we go we will have a great fullback.”
Underlining the meteoric rise of Ponga, the former Cowboys ace wasn’t even in Queensland’s Origin system just seven months ago.
He held dual eligibility with New Zealand, the country of birth of his father Andre, and only committed to the Maroons in January after being picked for their Emerging Origin squad.
Statistics show Ponga is the hardest player to tackle in the NRL this season.
The quick-stepping fullback has made a league-high 98 tackle busts from 13 games and produced 10 try assists, convincing Maroons selector Darren Lockyer he could step up in Maroon.
“I don’t think Ponga would be overawed if he got picked,” Lockyer said. “By virtue of circumstances he’s come in quicker than anyone envisaged but there’s no doubting he is the fullback for Queensland for quite a long time once he starts there.”
HE’S A GREAT TALENT AND I HAVE NO DOUBT HE COULD HANDLE WHATEVER IS THROWN HIS WAY KEVIN WALTERS ON PONGA