40 - 19

All Blacks coach keeps ‘the door open’ for NRL star Kalyn Ponga

2 days ago

Kalyn Ponga of the Knights runs with the ball during the round 25 NRL match between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Newcastle Knights at Accor Stadium, on August 24, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The door is open for Kalyn Ponga to make a high-profile switch to New Zealand rugby union, with All Blacks coach Scott Robertson calling on the NRL superstar to again show interest in completing the stunning career move.

This update comes about two weeks after former All Blacks first five-eighth Stephen Donald revealed the Newcastle Knights playmaker is exploring rugby’s options, with ‘Beaver’ and co-host Kirstie Stanway-Thorne theorising the Hurricanes could be a potential landing spot.

Donald said on The Aftermatch that rugby union “is still on the table” for Ponga according to an unnamed source in Australia. Years ago, Ponga expressed a desire to one day play for the All Blacks before signing a lucrative multi-year deal with the Newcastle Knights.

In 2022, Ponga penned a five-year deal through until the end of 2027. But with the Rugby World Cup in Australia only a couple of years away, and the 26-year-old is in blistering form for the Knights, now could be the right time for a potential move.

If Ponga was indeed interested, Robertson insists New Zealand Rugby would speak with the Queensland Maroons and Australian Kangaroos fullback about making this code-hopping dream a headline-grabbing reality.

“He’s done it a few years ago as well, showing his interest,” Robertson said on The Rugby Direct podcast. “If he comes to us we’ll have a conversation.

“You always keep the door open. He’s a hell of a player.

“If he shows interest there could be a conversation if it gets to that.”

There are many cases of NRL superstars who have the moved to rugby union before, but not every player has walked into the national team. Benji Marshall briefly played for the Blues in Super Rugby before returning to the NRL.

South Sydney Rabbitohs Premiership winner Sam Burgess played for England at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Dally M Medallist Roger Tuivasa-Sheck represented the All Blacks on multiple occasions, and former Roosters utility Joey Manu is currently in Japan with Toyota Verblitz.

Rugby Australia’s marquee recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been sidelined for practically all of the Super Rugby Pacific season so far, with the former Sydney Roosters and Samoa flyer debuting for the Waratahs in round one against the Highlanders.

Suaalii debuted in Wallaby gold during last year’s Spring Tour and received Player of the Match honours in a dramatic five-point win over England at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium. It’d no doubt pique the interest of sports fans worldwide if Ponga did pursue that All Blacks dream.

“That would be a huge goal. One that if I was to come back to union I would want to tick,” Ponga told TVNZ in 2019.

“But I’m not too sure what my future holds – whether I’m going to stay in league or change codes.

“If I was going back to rugby union, I’d probably want to strive for that black jumper.”

Comments

2 Comments

SadersMan 1 day ago

Yeah, nope. Door open & conversations, standard tooing & froing.

JW 2 days ago

Hows Tryone going? Getting any games? He’d be one I’d love to get back but he probably has his own dreams as well damnit!

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

2025 Lions' selection: An idiot's guide

Andy Farrell's coaching team will be announced this week and every fan is compiling their perfect squads, Lions fever is upon us

LONG READ

Scotland's senior players 'have gone to a different level' in quest for top-three finish

Scotland have not finished in the top half of the Women's Six Nations for 20 years but coach Fraser Brown believes it is a realistic target.

LONG READ

How to solve a problem like Welsh rugby

Fighting fires at every level, Welsh rugby is in a rut and there doesn't seem to be any easy escape routes

Comments on RugbyPass

JW 1 hour ago

'Ulster, though no one wants to admit it, isn't much more than a development province right now.'

TBH, and is the case over here with many of fans as well, I prefer the idea of the AIL and NPC (Currie Cup) being the true heart beat/cornerstone of the domestic rugby scene.

As per Miz question, how does a team go about that rise you reckon? Someone got hold of the club and drove an interest in participation back with it, or just another generational thing?

Also, a question I gave Miz, do you think the AIL has the ability to go somehere, be more than what it is now, like the Championship over in England etc? If it doesn’t get the same spotlight as those other examples ofc, it might do already? Sydney club footy has several thousand attend its finals games etc.

32 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

'Ulster, though no one wants to admit it, isn't much more than a development province right now.'

Yeah I mentioned in another thread to Deepete that’d I’d been comparing NZ and Ireland, and what I ended up recognizing was that Aussie is far similar to Ireland. Sorry, for ignorance but I can’t remember if that similarity was shared or used in some of NBs articles.

NZ and Ireland both use provinces but Aussies States are far more inline with your provinces right? I was wondering if the AIL had clubs that were on the tipping point of wanting to become pro, how close could they get to a current Ulster etc. I’m guess the Ulster players no longer have much to do with their former clubs, unlike how SR players jump back to their equivalent provinces? So one of those Ulster teams wouldn’t say have half a dozen URC players who would otherwise represent them?

I’m wondering how close their structure can get to being a good back drop for the Aussie players once SR is finished, if the top structures are similar (State v Province), could Irelands club system also be used, but most importantly, would it be good enough?

BTW ty for the reply, I actually had the tables up and had no idea who was who lol

32 Go to comments

Rebeccakirby 1 hour ago

Gregor Townsend breaks silence on his Scotland future

Months earlier, I’d sunk $156,000 into what I thought was a golden opportunity, an online cryptocurrency investment promising sky-high returns. The website was sleek, the testimonials glowing, and the numbers kept climbing. But when I tried to withdraw my profits, the platform froze. Emails went unanswered, support chats died, and my “investment” vanished into the digital ether. I’d been scammed, and the sting of it burned deep.Desperate, I stumbled across Alpha Spy Nest while scouring the web for help. Their site/reviews didn’t promise miracles, just results, specialists in tracking down lost funds from online scams. Skeptical but out of options, I reached out. The process started with a simple form: I detailed the scam, uploaded screenshots of transactions, and shared the wallet addresses I’d sent my crypto to. Within hours, they confirmed they’d take my case.What followed was like watching a high-stakes chess game unfold, though I only saw the moves, not the players. Alpha Spy Nest dove into the blockchain, tracing my funds through a maze of wallets designed to obscure their path. They explained how scammers often use mixers to launder crypto, but certain patterns like timing and wallet clustering, could still betray them. I didn’t understand half of it, but their confidence kept me hopeful. Hours later, they updated me: my money had landed in an exchange account tied to the scam network. They’d identified it through a mix of on-chain analysis and intel from sources I’d never grasp. After 24 hours, i got a message, my funds were frozen in the scammer’s account pending review. Alpha Spy Nest had apparently flagged it just in time. After some back-and-forth, the exchange with the help of Alpha Spy Nest reversed the transactions, and $145,000 of my original $156,000 hit my wallet. The rest, they said, was likely gone forever, siphoned off early. I never met anyone from Alpha Spy Nest, never heard a voice or saw a face. Yet, their methodical precision pulled me back from the brink. My money wasn’t fully restored, but the recovery felt like a win, a lifeline from a faceless ally in a world of digital shadows. If you find yourself in the same situation, you can also reach out to them via: Email: Alphaspynest@mail.com, whatsapp: ‪+15132924878‬, telegram: https://t.me/Alphaspynest,

1 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

'Ulster, though no one wants to admit it, isn't much more than a development province right now.'

I wonder if we’ve struck a winner here (generally speaking pro to amateur eras). I’d been thinking of the differences between here and Ireland, and despite our pro teams being created from large regions and very similar to yours, you’ve always had that as you’re top tier domestic comp right, but along the lines of our smaller provincial competition (the NPC) it was previously representative?

There is still a very big following and favourtism for rep rugby over ‘club’ or the pro rugby teams here. I wonder if Ulster has just lost that edge of what it meant to be a rep team? Were as Leinster have been able to embrace the new ‘club’ persona far more enthusiastically?

Could be that ‘pro’ vibe just eating into what were the strengths of your traditional teams?

32 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

'Ulster, though no one wants to admit it, isn't much more than a development province right now.'

So their was some sort of continuity from that era. It all sounds very normal, ex players shouldn’t need to be asked to give back to the game, even in the amateur era, and if you’re critical of them not being professional and committed enough then, well you’re in the same boat as everyone else basically.

Ulster have certainly been pretty good since I’ve been noticing, though sure, clearly under Leinsters spotlight. Picked up on a few of this years unfortunate results though. Happens to the best, hopefully things turn around.

Ah right, so in a similar boat to the Ulster schools? If it’s anything like here, I don’t know why that should matter much. Widely varying results from within NZ despite heavily funded/wealth Auckland sides to my understanding, totally about the crop of players coming through. Though that might still be a key point of difference in perspective, with although not in numbers, rugby still being the dominant sport here?

32 Go to comments

Rebeccakirby 2 hours ago

Late Alessandro Izekor try sees Benetton snatch win over Edinburgh

0 Go to comments

Rebeccakirby 2 hours ago

25 Six Nations Memorable Moments: 5 to 1

1 Go to comments

Cantab 2 hours ago

Black Ferns and All Blacks Sevens teams named to chase more Hong Kong history

Did you mean plonkers? AB mens 7s are a mere shadow of the team they used to be and it would be a major upset if they even won their pool. Womens 7s are a different proposition skilful, and likely finalists along with Australia. They at least look like they enjoy what they do.

2 Go to comments

GP 3 hours ago

'There's a lot of rugby knowledge': David Havili's reasoning behind in-form backline

David Havili has been a revelation as Crusaders captain. He has revelled in it and lead from the front , even though he is a second five. As the article says there is a lot of nous in that team and David has a great support crew.

1 Go to comments

GP 4 hours ago

Blues vs Crusaders takes: Blues season on it's last legs, Penney proved right

Chay Fihaki and Ioane Moananu as stated were impressive. After Macca Springers performance the week before, Chay really answered . Scoring a great try and all round game. Ioane Moananu has blossomed this year for the Crusaders , coming off the bench and starting.

3 Go to comments

Utiku Old Boy 4 hours ago

Reds pack turn up the heat on Highlanders, snap 12-year Dunedin drought

DeGroot seems to be struggling this year to impose himself on the game. Fitness seems to be an issue. His fellow prop Ma’u was schooled by Hodgman and the Landers suffered as a result. The addage that games are won up-front was well demonstrated in this contest. I felt that JJ was light on tight forward depth this year and this game illustrated it. Despite some talent, Landers will not threaten this season. BTW, young fullback Hurley was badly exposed and the hype around him should be dialed back.

1 Go to comments

d 4 hours ago

Blues vs Crusaders takes: Blues season on it's last legs, Penney proved right

“every game this season has been a nailbiter”

for some as yet unrevealed new definition of nailbiter. coach killer, perhaps? No concept of ball retention, tactical kicking skills that sink to a new low; what happened to the hard-nosed forward-driven side that we lauded last year?

3 Go to comments

Carmen Beechum 4 hours ago

Brumbies on high alert: Len Ikitau’s stark warning over ex-boss

(Telegram: https:// t. me/Pro_ Wizard_ Gilbert_ Recovery)Email (pro wizard gilbert recovery (@) engineer. com)I never imagined I would fall victim to a cryptocurrency scam, but that's exactly what happened. My name is [Carmen Beechum, and I invested $500,000 into what | believed was a legitimate trading platform. Everything appeared professional-the website was well-designed, customer service was responsive, and my trading account even showed promising returns.It all seemed too good to be false.However, when I attempted to withdraw my funds, I was met with endless delays and excuses. First, they claimed there were technical issues, then they needed additional verification, and finally, they requested a release fee before processing my withdrawal. Despite complying with their demands, my account was eventually frozen, and all communication from the platform ceased. That's when reality hit me—l had been scammed out of half a million dollars. Desperate to find a way to recover my money, I searched online for solutions. That's when I came across PRO WIZARD GIlBERT RECOVERY, a company dedicated to helping victims of online financial fraud. At first, I was skeptical-after all, I had already been deceived once, and the last thing I wanted was to fall for another scam. But after speaking with their team and reviewing their success stories, I decided to take a chance.Their experts immediately got to work, using advanced blockchain forensics and investigative tools to trace my stolen funds. WhatsApp: +1 (920) 408‑1234They identified the fraudulent wallets where my money had been transferred and collaborated with financial institutions and law enforcement agencies to take action. Thanks to their persistence and expertise, they were able to freeze the scammers' accounts and successfully recover my $500,000. What seemed like a devastating loss turned into a remarkable recovery. I am incredibly grateful to PRO WIZARD GIlBERT RECOVERY for not only retrieving my funds but also restoring my peace of mind. My experience serves as a warning to others-always be cautious with online investments, but if you ever become a victim, know that recovery is possible with the right experts on your side.

0 Go to comments

Ardy 5 hours ago

Can 'Tongan Thor' rediscover his strength before the Lions arrive?

MZ: He surprised me in the Reds game where he started a 8. I think he was replaced by Gleeson in the 2nd half and the Tahs gained nothing I could see. Not sure what we are going to do with him but, IF he continues over the next couple of years he will be hard to keep out of any side.

86 Go to comments

fl 5 hours ago

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

with the depth england have atm, I don’t think its especially true to say the summer will be a development tour! I reckon England will field a strong side, and look to build directly on the progress seen in the 6N.

Graham Simmons had a go selecting a full Lions squad in a recent article on here titled “2025 Lions' selection: An idiot's guide”

Excluding all the players he named, England could still field a matchday 23 of:

1 - Baxter

2 - Cowan-Dickie

3 - Heyes

4 - Coles

5 - Martin

6 - Cunningham-South

7 - Underhill

8 - T. Willis

9 - JVP

10 - M. Smith

11 - Sleightholme

12 - Dingwall

13 - Slade

14 - Roebuck

15 - Furbank

16 - Dan

17 - Rodd

18 - Opoku-Fordjour

19 - Clark

20 - Hill

21 - Pollock

22 - Randall

23 - Ojomoh

That’s a team that would be immediately ready to perform at the highest level, not one that needs a huge amount of time to develop. Add to that the wider squad could include Langdon, Obano, Davison, Owen, Tuima, Roots, Pepper, Quirke, C. Atkinson, Butt, Murley, Steward, Hendy.

That would be a pretty solid group of players - almost all 36 of whom are already test level. And even then we’re not including Oghre, Iyogun, Fasogbon, Ewels, Mercer, Dombrandt, Fisilau, Barbeary, Spencer, S. Atkinson, Beard, Elliott, Carpenter etc.,

19 Go to comments

lK 5 hours ago

Fijian Drua secure star flyhalf Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula on new deal

👍🏼

2 Go to comments

lK 5 hours ago

Clayton McMillan's frank 'from the sublime to pretty ordinary' Chiefs assessment

👍🏼

1 Go to comments

lK 5 hours ago

Crusaders restore order, put Blues to the sword at Eden Park

👍🏼