Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga is at risk of being banned from playing NRL games after he withdrew from selection for the Australian team.
What happened
The Knights released a statement on Tuesday outlining Ponga’s intention to withdraw his name from possible selection for the Kangaroos. It said his priority was winning a premiership with the club.
According to the NRL rules for NSW, a player who withdraws from, or is unavailable for selection for representative sides, is not allowed to play club games instead of representative matches.
Ponga was the recipient of the 2023 Dally M Medal and has represented Queensland in the State of Origin on numerous occasions.
What they said
In a statement released by the Knights, Ponga said: “I want to win a comp, for me, anything short of that, isn’t success. My focus has never shifted from wanting to win a Premiership with the Knights, that has been my goal since I joined the Club in 2018 and continues to be my focus.”
Former Australian representative and selector Bob McCarthy told Nine newspapers: “I’d be putting the red line through his name. You don’t knock back the Australian jersey. I can’t see his reckoning there. It’s the ultimate reward, playing for your country.”
