NRL: Fit and firing Kalyn Ponga pumped for Newcastle’s finals charge

Newcastle superstar Kalyn Ponga has revealed the “crazy” mental toll of his shoulder injury during last year’s finals loss to South Sydney.

Ponga bravely pushed through a dodgy shoulder as the Knights failed to contain a red-hot Rabbitohs side.

“It’s pretty crazy what an injury can do to you mentally,” Ponga said about his shoulder injury, which required surgery.

“It took a bit of confidence out of me.”

Twelve months on, Ponga is fully fit and pumped about the Knights‘ final prospects ahead of Sunday’s elimination final against Parramatta.

He believes the Novocastrians are better placed this season compared with last year due to the hard work they’ve completed behind the scenes.

“That is why I’m so excited, I don’t think we have played to our full potential yet or anywhere near it,” he said.

“I remember being in this position last year and I definitely think the mood is a lot better and the boys are lot more excited.

“I think the belief and the confidence is higher than what it was last year, and I think that is because of the hard work we’ve put in over the last eight weeks to get here.

“I’d like to think that we’ll be a lot better, we need to be better, and we need to get better.”

Newcastle’s inconsistent attack has copped criticism all season.

The seventh-placed Knights are loaded with strike players like Ponga, Mitchell Pearce and Bradman Best, but they are the worst attacking team of the top eight teams having scored just 428 points in the regular season.

In comparison, Melbourne and South Sydney have scored 815 and 775 points respectively.

Newcastle’s clunky and inefficient attack was particularly poor during last week’s surprise loss to Brisbane, but Ponga insists he doesn’t listen to the outside commentary about the team’s issues with the ball.

“I don’t read into it, and I don’t listen to it,” he said frankly.

“I wouldn’t have a clue what they are saying.

“The last eight weeks, the amount of hard work we’ve put in to get here. I guess I know personally that we haven’t quite nailed things in attack, but you win games off effort and hard work.

“So, for me it is exciting if we nail a few more passes and get a few little things right, we can go another level and step up, which you have to do in finals footy.”

Newcastle is set to welcome back Tyson Frizell and Hymel Hunt for Sunday’s Parramatta clash.

Prop David Klemmer is also expected to overcome a rib injury suffered against Brisbane.

Ponga was disappointed with the loss to the Broncos, but he expects the Knights to produce a significantly stronger performance against Parramatta.

“Yeah, personally I hate losing,” he said.

“In terms of effort and execution there are things to improve, but we are not too disappointed and walking away with our heads too down.”

In other news, Knights hooker Chris Randall has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2021 season after undergoing surgery to repair a broken thumb.

Randall suffered the injury against the Broncos.

The hardworking hooker finished the game, with scans post-match confirming the injury required surgery to repair the break.

Randall is expected to make a full recovery and join his teammates for the start of the 2022 pre-season.