With Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga open to the idea of representing the New Zealand Kiwis at the 2026 World Cup, it gives the side a whole new dynamic and places them at the forefront of the title race for the world's best.

It comes as the NRL announced a change to eligibility rules for State of Origin, meaning that if you currently meet the Origin criteria, you can represent any country.

This means there is no longer a fight between Tier 1 nations (Australia, New Zealand, and England) and the State of Origin.

These are the rules that are currently remaining unchanged.

  • The player was born in New South Wales or Queensland; or
  • The player resided in New South Wales or Queensland before their 13th birthday; or
  • The player's father played State of Origin.

This is a massive game-changer for players such as Addin Fonua-Blake, Jason Taumalolo, and Victor Radley, who can all now feature in this year's State of Origin series. 

With Ponga embedded year by year in the Queensland Maroons line-up, he now has the option to represent the Kiwis without the threat of his Queensland jersey being taken from him.

When speaking with AAP before the eligibility changes were announced, Ponga was open to the switch, and with the new rules in place, it opens the door for him to represent both sides of his heritage.

"Yeah, I would," Ponga told AAP.

"Obviously, with the rules and everything, I'm not allowed to (at the moment), but I would.

"There's a lot to weigh up.

"I've got to take care of what I'm doing at the Knights and how I'm performing there before I worry about anything else. That's definitely my focus."

This opens the door for a Newcastle combination in Brown and Ponga, who have spent a year (at that stage), combining at club level, be able to flex their chemistry on an international scale. 

It could also see an all-star spine of Ponga, Brown, Jahrome Hughes, and Jeremy Marshall-King, with Phoenix Crossland dropping out. 

In last year's Pacific Championship, we saw both Hughes and Nikorima both unavailable for selection due to injury. 

However, if they are both fit, they slot into the squad, rounding out the strong Kiwi juggernaut, which has the potential to go a long way in this year's World Cup. 

  1. Kalyn Ponga
  2. Ronaldo Mulitalo
  3. Matt Timoko
  4. Casey McLean
  5. Jamayne Isaako
  6. Dylan Brown
  7. Jahrome Hughes
  8. James Fisher-Harris
  9. Jeremy Marhall-King
  10. Moses Leota
  11. Briton Nikora
  12. Isaiah Papali'i
  13. Joseph Tapine
  14. Keanu Kini
  15. Leo Thompson
  16. Naufahu Whyte
  17. Erin Clark
  18. Kodi Nikorima
  19. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad

 

 

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