Newcastle CEO Philip Gardner is desperate to keep Kalyn Ponga at the club but believes that NRL rivals, the Brisbane Broncos, are a big threat to pry him away.
Ponga's contract runs until the end of next year which means he will be a free agent come November 1, and the Knights are keen to lock him down to eliminate any threat of any departure away.
Reports earlier in the week suggested that the Knights had offered Ponga a four-year, $4.5 million contract which included a player option for the 2023 season.
That would ultimately offer Ponga the chance to walk away from the NRL and pursue a Union opportunity with the All-Blacks with the potential to make an appearance at the 2023 world cup. But, Gardner believes it will all come down to the decision of Ponga's father, Andre, who is his acting agent which would see any extension agreed upon.
“I’m probably an example of a desperate suitor,” Gardner told Fox Sports.
“We would like that to be resolved as soon as possible, the length of the contract and the numbers.
“They are taking their time, and rightly so. There is still a lot of water to go under the bridge.
“We’ve spoken to the family about extending that (contract), we would like to keep him here until 2025.
“The family are saying the length of the extension if there is one probably won’t be that long.
“That is the subject of negotiation.”
Ponga has already made it known that he would love to play for the All-Blacks at some point, especially growing up playing union in his junior days.
Gardner has insisted that should any contract be locked in until 2023, there wouldn't be a rugby clause in the contract which would allow Ponga to leave the NRL to go and play with the All-Blacks. Should Ponga's extension no go through until 2023 though, that leaves the door wide open.
“If any player decided they wanted to go and play a different code than us it becomes problematic for us,” Gardner said.
“It’s an interesting thing. You remember Sonny Bill Williams getting on a plane to go (to France).
“We have to do as a club for all our players is make sure they are happy playing here for us.”
Gardner's major fear though lays within the NRL and other rival clubs luring Ponga away from Newcastle rather than a code switch, with the Broncos being the biggest threat.
“When you look at the big clubs with the money who can splash out, certainly the Broncos would be a club,” Gardner said.
“I think they’re a bigger threat, rather than the All Blacks.
“This All Blacks thing might be real, it might not be real. I don’t know.
“I think KP will take less money to stay here, I think he is happy here and the family are happy here.”
“I’m probably an example of a desperate suitor,” Gardner.
Gardner sucks at negotiating.
I’d love to play poker against this guy.
yes i believe we can fit him in our cap. we only bought 5 players including latrell with Sams money.
Quentin is a great young man and im sure he will be willing to play for less.
South Sydney Sombrero Hombreros
I think there are more clubs than the Broncos to worry about. If anything, Philip Gardner seems to be concerned about what ”might be” and not ”what is”. How many other NRL clubs would be interested in signing Kayln Ponga? Has he said he wants to have a look around before he signs a new contract? For the sake of the Knights and their supporters, I hope this situation doesn’t turn into a Latrell Mitchell type of saga.
Will be good for the game to see Ponga remain at Newcastle for life.
Can see him continuing to develop into a great player.
budgielegs February 28, 2020 at 2:23 pm
” I hope this situation doesn’t turn into a Latrell Mitchell type of saga.”
budgielegs the difference is Latrell and his family made it clear he wanted to come home to the Rabbitohs.
It only became a dragged out saga with Politis trying everything to stop him leaving and even a last ditch effort flying Trent ‘Taree’ Robinson to sway him was met with little interest.
Ponga would fit in great in Melbourne. Next year when Smithy’s salary comes off the books, he would be a nice pick up. He could come for less money as in Purple, he would stand a real chance of silverware.
Phil Gardner is a very savvy businessman and runs the West’s group which are a huge club group bigger than Panthers or Diggers, and very successful financially.
Unfortunately he is not a rugby league man, but has quite a huge ego and loves to be in the media, then he says all this stuff that only leads to heartaches for the club. How often do you see the Roosters or Storm CEOs on TV. Take a tip Phil and leave football comments to those who know what they are talking about.
I hope Ponga stays at the Knights , also for the good of the game .
You want some talented players at every club. Makes the games more interesting & better watching.
The last thing you want is one or two clubs buying up all the best players. As has been more of the case for many years.
The more even every team & games is , the better the whole competition is.
Given that, any club that brings through its own juniors & has success from doing that. More power to them. They deserve every success.
Ponga looked pretty good running through the mostly Canterbury Cup standard Nuggets. Field that team & you get what’s coming to you.
EastOfDivide
February 29, 2020 at 6:22 pm
Given that, any club that brings through its own juniors & has success from doing that. More power to them. They deserve every success.
I agree wholeheartedly EastOfDivide. The team I support is South Sydney, I am ashamed at how many players we have imported over the past five seasons. It must be around 40 plus players and most are not skilled enough to secure an Nrl place in our team.
The Sydney Roosters our most hated rival have been producing premiership winning stars for two decades. Players like Cordner, Friend, Ricketson, Minichello, Heggerty, Tupou, Aubusson, Lomu, Fletcher, Flannery, Pearce, Manu, Liu, Napa, Radley, Matterson, Butcher, Crocker, Tuivasa-Shek, and Mitchell. Just 20 players off the top of my head with many more I cant think of. All won comps and all played lower grades with the Sydney Roosters and made their Nrl debut from the Sydney Roosters.
Clubs like Sydney need to have cap relief after producing so many superstars. You are 100% spot on EastOfDivide.
WoodenHead & his new sign in name.
I can’t imagine what club you’re referring to that has ‘Sydney’ in their name & produces its own local juniors, that become superstars? Do you mean the Sydney Swans?
Or the Sixers? The Sydney Thunder or Kings perhaps? All of them have lots of imports as well. Just not as many as the import chickens .
I didn’t say anything about any salary cap relief? I’d never say that should be the case, for any club that just imports players. Like your import chickens. In any case they use their own forms of salary cap relief. As they pay extra on top of any contract amounts by using ‘independent corporate sponsorships‘ & paying for university fees etc.
Oh sorry, my mistake! You didn’t say local juniors. Your club doesn’t have them.
You’d like your import chickens to get salary cap relief , for stealing other teams top players & other areas juniors. Then using them as your teams players.
No, It should be your club paying transfer fees to other clubs. When they take their local juniors. Salary cap relief should be for clubs using their own juniors. For those local players .
I think you must have been mistaken.
Get over it ClownOfDivide onthe8ball is on the eight ball corner pocket to win that argument. Those players he mentioned never played with any previous clubs before. So he is spot on the money. You could through in Cusack , Evens , and at least 40 other players who came through the Roosters lower grades playing for other clubs including, penriths import from the Cowgirls Tumou, who played prop at Easts before NQ poached him . Just admit it ClownOfDivide. Penrith produce duds like soufths and win nothing. Roosters developed kids that won them comps. Now run away like a good little pink panther.
So one of the biggest poachers in the NRL is whining about Ponga possibly, maybe one day being poached. Pot meet kettle. Would be karma.
EastofDivide, I have comments in trash responding to your post about trial match. Not going to try and write again as can’t for the life of me work out why they didn’t go through. Check if you like.