Neha Patil (Editor)

Kalyn Ponga

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Nickname
  
KP

2016–
  
North Queensland

0
  
0

Nationality
  
Australian

Other name
  
KP

Weight
  
90 kg (14 st 2 lb)

2
  
0

Height
  
1.84 m

Parents
  
Andre Ponga

Siblings
  
Kacey Ponga

Kalyn Ponga resources1newscomauimages2014010112267932

Born
  
30 March 1998 (age 18) Port Hedland, Western Australia, Australia (
1998-03-30
)

Position
  
Fullback, Five-eighth, Wing

Similar
  
Jason Taumalolo, Coen Hess, Johnathan Thurston, Roger Tuivasa‑Sheck

Kalyn Ponga (born 30 March 1998) is an Australian/New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the North Queensland Cowboys of the National Rugby League. He plays at fullback and five-eighth. He is signed on with the Newcastle Knights from the start of the 2018 season.

Contents

Kalyn Ponga Kalyn Ponga not letting distractions get in the way of NRL dream

Background

Kalyn Ponga Kalyn a Cowboy The North West Star

Born in Port Hedland, Western Australia, Ponga is of Māori descent through his New Zealand-born father, Andre. He lived with his family in Mount Isa, Queensland as a child before moving to Palmerston North, New Zealand in 2006, spending five years there, where he played a number of sports, including rugby league, touch football, hockey, rugby union, golf, and soccer. In 2010, he won New Zealand's under-13 national golf championship.

Kalyn Ponga NRL video Kalyn Ponga sizzles in Cowboys debut Fox Sports

In 2011, Ponga and his family returned to Australia, settling in Mackay, where he attended Mackay State High School, where he was a member of the Rugby League Academy program, and played junior rugby league for Souths Mackay. Also in 2011, he was signed to a scholarship with the Central Queensland NRL bid side. In 2012, he was selected for the Australian Schoolboys under-15 side, becoming just the second 14-year old to make the side.

Kalyn Ponga Cowboys fullback Kalyn Ponga gets advice from Andrew Johns

In 2013, Ponga, then a scholarship holder with the Brisbane Broncos, moved to Brisbane. He attended Anglican Church Grammar School and played for the Easts Tigers in the Cyril Connell Cup. That year he made the Australian Schoolboys under-15 side for the second consecutive year.

Kalyn Ponga Teen eyes north Mackay Daily Mercury

In December 2013, Ponga signed a contract with the North Queensland Cowboys. He was pursued by six professional clubs from across three different sports, turning down the Broncos, Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters, Queensland Reds and Brisbane Lions to sign with the Townsville-based NRL club.

2015

Kalyn Ponga Kalyn Ponga Newcastle Knights contract Daily Telegraph

Ponga moved to Townsville where he attended Ignatius Park College, played for the Townsville Stingers in the Mal Meninga Cup and represented Australia in touch football at the 2015 Youth Trans Tasman series. In January, he was a member of the QAS Emerging under-18 Origin squad. In August, he made his NYC debut for the Cowboys, coming off the bench in his side's 50-6 victory over the Parramatta Eels in Round 20. It was later revealed that he had missed five months of the season fighting a life-threatening brain infection. He finished the year as the Cowboys' starting fullback, scoring 8 tries in 8 games. In October, he was invited to train with the New Zealand national team in preparation for their tour of Great Britain. In November, he joined the Cowboys' 2016 first grade squad for pre-season training.

2016

Kalyn Ponga Kalyn Ponga kalynponga Twitter

In January, Ponga was selected in the QAS under-20's Origin squad. In February, he played in the Cowboys' first-grade side's trial game against the Broncos, scoring a try. In May, Ponga was selected for the Junior Kangaroos and Junior Kiwis but opted not to play. He spent the majority of the season playing for the Cowboys' NYC and was named at fullback in the NYC Team of the Year.

On 16 September, Ponga made his NRL debut on the wing against the Brisbane Broncos in the finals, replacing the injured Antonio Winterstein. Since 1987, he is just the sixth player to make his first-grade debut in a finals match. He is contracted to the Cowboys until the end of 2017.

In November, it was reported that Ponga had signed a contract with the Newcastle Knights starting in 2018. On 17 November, when North Queensland returned to pre-season training, head coach Paul Green confirmed the reports and his disappointment saying the contract was in the cooling off period. The deal was officially announced on 28 November as a four-year contract starting in 2018. It was reported that the deal will make him the highest paid teenager in the history of the NRL.

2017

Ponga was named in North Queensland's squad for the 2017 NRL Auckland Nines tournament in February. At the event, he led North Queensland to a quarterfinals berth before being eliminated by the Storm. He scored five tries and was named in the team of the tournament alongside teammate Gideon Gela-Mosby.

Individual

NYC Team of the Year: 2016

NRL

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2016 season

References

Kalyn Ponga Wikipedia