Kalyn ponga

[Number 16]

1 hour ago, Tosh said:

I think that ship has already sailed as the kiwis have multiple options at fullback and in the halves.

The Kiwis certainly do not have a FB to compare with Ponga. Neither CNK or Rapana can compare and Manu is best at centre given NZ's options there. 

And even at six, Ponga trump's Dylan Brown and Foran .

[Dunbar]

57 minutes ago, Number 16 said:

The Kiwis certainly do not have a FB to compare with Ponga. Neither CNK or Rapana can compare and Manu is best at centre given NZ's options there. 

And even at six, Ponga trump's Dylan Brown and Foran .

I would argue that Jospeh Manu is as good a full back as Ponga, maybe better.  But a slightly moot point as Ponga at full back would allow Manu to play in the centre and that would make the Kiwis stronger overall.

As an aside, I also really like Brown as a 6.

Having 1, Ponga, 6, Brown and 7, Jahromoe Hughes in the spine and Manu in the centre, the Kiwis would be very very good.

[Tosh]

1 hour ago, Number 16 said:

The Kiwis certainly do not have a FB to compare with Ponga. Neither CNK or Rapana can compare and Manu is best at centre given NZ's options there. 

And even at six, Ponga trump's Dylan Brown and Foran .

I wasn’t comparing ponga to either manu, cnk, Rapana or Martin but that the selectors and kiwi fans wouldn’t accept ponga now after rejecting them for Queensland.

[Tosh]

54 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I would argue that Jospeh Manu is as good a full back as Ponga, maybe better.  But a slightly moot point as Ponga at full back would allow Manu to play in the centre and that would make the Kiwis stronger overall.

As an aside, I also really like Brown as a 6.

Having 1, Ponga, 6, Brown and 7, Jahromoe Hughes in the spine and Manu in the centre, the Kiwis would be very very good.

That spine along with smith at #9 and their forward pack would be scary good.

[Farmduck]

8 hours ago, Tosh said:

Hence why he should have chosen NZ over Queensland.

Also turbo and Mitchell could play centre for the kangaroos while ponga would surely make the bench?

Why would you put a FB on the bench when you already have 3 FBs in the run-on team? (plus possibly Muster, if needed)

[Jean de Bordeaux]

Curiously, before signing for Newcastele he was the target of NZ rugby, with a possibility to play for the All Blacks. Why not the Kiwis ? The SOO's rules are stupid ! He is a new zealander !

[Number 16]

3 hours ago, Tosh said:

I wasn’t comparing ponga to either manu, cnk, Rapana or Martin but that the selectors and kiwi fans wouldn’t accept ponga now after rejecting them for Queensland.

They'd welcome him with open arms!

[Tosh]

6 hours ago, Jean de Bordeaux said:

Curiously, before signing for Newcastele he was the target of NZ rugby, with a possibility to play for the All Blacks. Why not the Kiwis ? The SOO's rules are stupid ! He is a new zealander !

Wasn’t he quoted as saying it’s a lifelong ambition of his to play for the AB’s?

[Tosh]

6 hours ago, Farmduck said:

Why would you put a FB on the bench when you already have 3 FBs in the run-on team? (plus possibly Muster, if needed)

He can cover the halves as well.

[Tosh]

4 hours ago, Number 16 said:

They'd welcome him with open arms!

We’ll have to agree to disagree but it’s a moot point anyway as he’s never showed any inclination of playing for the kiwis.

Personally as a neutral I would love to see him pull on the kiwi jersey just like Ronaldo did.

[RayCee]

6 hours ago, Jean de Bordeaux said:

Curiously, before signing for Newcastele he was the target of NZ rugby, with a possibility to play for the All Blacks. Why not the Kiwis ? The SOO's rules are stupid ! He is a new zealander !

True Jean. Few in this forum are sympathetic to the SOO rules when it interferes with international eligibility. 

[Tosh]

5 minutes ago, RayCee said:

True Jean. Few in this forum are sympathetic to the SOO rules when it interferes with international eligibility. 

You’d have thought that finances would have overtaken any kangaroo trial/selection process in todays state of origin. 

[ghost crayfish]

While it is of course a joke how few games the Kangaroos have played, it's not the reason Kalyn Ponga hasn't played test football. 

[Number 16]

Now I read that Dylan Walker is attempting to overturn his ban on representing NZ due to having played for Australia in 2014. The NZRL is behind his appeal.

Playing fantasy RL, a backline of Ponga, Mulitalo, Manu, Walker, Rapana, Brown and Hughes behind THAT pack could really threaten.

 

[DavidM]

3 hours ago, Number 16 said:

Now I read that Dylan Walker is attempting to overturn his ban on representing NZ due to having played for Australia in 2014. The NZRL is behind his appeal.

Playing fantasy RL, a backline of Ponga, Mulitalo, Manu, Walker, Rapana, Brown and Hughes behind THAT pack could really threaten.

 

Dylan Walker is a direct descendent of Fletcher Christian …who was born not far from me 

[Tosh]

3 hours ago, DavidM said:

Dylan Walker is a direct descendent of Fletcher Christian …who was born not far from me 

Is that true?

fletchertown?

[Tosh]

7 hours ago, Number 16 said:

Now I read that Dylan Walker is attempting to overturn his ban on representing NZ due to having played for Australia in 2014. The NZRL is behind his appeal.

Playing fantasy RL, a backline of Ponga, Mulitalo, Manu, Walker, Rapana, Brown and Hughes behind THAT pack could really threaten.

 

That would be ridiculous but didn’t former Leeds centre tonie Carroll play for NZ and then Australia or the other way round?

[Tosh]

8 hours ago, ghost crayfish said:

While it is of course a joke how few games the Kangaroos have played, it's not the reason Kalyn Ponga hasn't played test football. 

Injuries?

[DavidM]

12 minutes ago, Tosh said:

Is that true?

fletchertown?

Yes 

No , not far off but no connection 

[Number 16]

22 minutes ago, Tosh said:

That would be ridiculous but didn’t former Leeds centre tonie Carroll play for NZ and then Australia or the other way round?

Yes, with Australia after NZ.

Tbh, international RL is a dog's breakfast anyway, so I can live with movements in just about any direction. 

True, our sport is a big (the biggest?) 'offender' when it comes to 'breaking' a basically 19thC set of international qualification rules, but RL is far from the only one. 

Maybe only soccer is strong enough, and wealthy enough to buck the trend, but ethnicity is becoming as strong a pull as formal nationality.

[gingerjon]

On 29/08/2022 at 12:54, Damien said:

It's a travesty how few internationals our top players have plated.

Indeed.

Even if he'd 'put his hand up' for another country as has been suggested, he'd still be struggling to reach double figures.

As would anyone who was first choice.

The international system is a joke.

[Number 16]

On 29/08/2022 at 12:54, Damien said:

It's a travesty how few internationals our top players have plated.

Yes, it always shocked me how few top Rugby League players also double as a chef.

[Tosh]

1 hour ago, Number 16 said:

Yes, with Australia after NZ.

Tbh, international RL is a dog's breakfast anyway, so I can live with movements in just about any direction. 

True, our sport is a big (the biggest?) 'offender' when it comes to 'breaking' a basically 19thC set of international qualification rules, but RL is far from the only one. 

Maybe only soccer is strong enough, and wealthy enough to buck the trend, but ethnicity is becoming as strong a pull as formal nationality.

I truly despise it but it’s interesting to see that rugby Union is seemingly following RL nation hoping especially with island nations like Tonga and Samoa etc.

 

I wonder if this is being used to counter rugby leagues rise in popularity within the pacific islands?

[Tosh]

38 minutes ago, Number 16 said:

Yes, it always shocked me how few top Rugby League players also double as a chef.

I can always remember former French international and Sheffield eagles centre Jean-Marc Garcia being quite handy in the kitchen I believe.

[Number 16]

1 hour ago, Tosh said:

I truly despise it but it’s interesting to see that rugby Union is seemingly following RL nation hoping especially with island nations like Tonga and Samoa etc.

 

I wonder if this is being used to counter rugby leagues rise in popularity within the pacific islands?

IMO, the breakdown of what was, essentially, a 19th Century interpretation of eligibility rules across Empire sport, thus later, all sport, was based on born there and play for the nation.

Now I'm not woke, but woke type 'politics' has given preference of ethnicity over an accident of birth. If you are born in one nation and live there but are raised in a community that treasures its alternative origins who cares where your grandparents are from. The world has changed. Play for heritage/or/birth. I don't care. (Yet many of you think I'm a right wing a s s hole).

Does it matter who people choose to play for, just so long as it's genuine.