Ponga the best young talent ever, says Freddy
NSW coach Brad Fittler has made the stunning claim Kalyn Ponga is the best young talent he has ever seen as Maroons champion Billy Slater declared the whiz-kid will be a 10-year Origin player.
Ponga was a golden ray of hope amid the pain of Queensland’s series-losing 18-14 defeat, producing a remarkably cool-headed debut at age 20 in an Origin II thriller in Sydney.
The highlight came in the 69th minute when Ponga speared through the NSW defence, only to be grounded by James Tedesco one metre short in a trysaver that crushed the Maroons’ dynasty.
But Ponga’s performance was so emphatic even Fittler, the rival coach who attempted to plot the rookie’s downfall, was left in awe.
A 31-game Origin legend and, like Ponga, a teenage firstgrade prodigy, Fittler has seen some magnificent talents during his 30-year tenure in the game — stars like Andrew Johns, Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Allan Langer.
But the former Blues skipper is adamant Ponga’s impact has been more dramatic and influential than any other young gun to arrive on the NRL scene.
“Kalyn is the best young talent I’ve seen,” said Fittler, who was just 18 when he made his NSW Origin debut in 1990.
“To see what Kalyn Ponga did in that game … unbelievable. I can’t believe how well he played. I can’t even believe we f***ing tackled him (as Ponga pinned his ears back for the NSW tryline).”
The retiring Slater said Ponga could succeed him in the No. 1 for the next decade.