- Kalyn Ponga could be set to leave Newcastle as early as this summer
- And in a shock twist of events, the 27-year-old could be set to leave the NRL
Kalyn Ponga is reportedly considering leaving the Newcastle Knights at the end of this season and could be eyeing up a cross-code switch to play rugby union.
The Sydney Morning Herald states that the 27-year-old full-back has started to look for other opportunities away from the Knights and has hired a New Zealand rugby union agent as he looks for new opportunities.
The Western Australia-born star, who has played with the Knights since 2018, has two years left on his bumper $1.4million-a-season contract.
But the former Queensland representative is understood to be ‘concerned about wasting the prime years of his career’ with the Knights.
Sources close to the situation have added that the footy star, who had previously played for North Queensland, could be ready to depart as early as the end of the 2025 season.
It comes as Newcastle are also weighing up the future of their coach Adam O’Brien, with Powerbrokers planning to sack the coach, whose contract also expires in 2027, at the conclusion of the current campaign.
The struggling Knights have been left fearing that their star man, Ponga, could leave for some time, with Michael Chammas of the Sydney Morning Herald having revealed the club were growing concerned in May that if the side’s form did not improve, Ponga could leave.
Should the 2023 Dally M medallist leave the club, the Knights would see a huge shift in their salary cap. It may mean that the footy club could bring in a fresh option at stand-off.
Newcastle also have Fletcher Sharpe who can move into take Ponga’s position at full-back.
While Ponga has not explicitly asked to be released, the footy star’s management are willing to negotiate terms of a release.
Ponga’s decision to hire a Kiwi rugby union agent comes at an interesting time in the footy calendar.
The emergence of the lucrative R360 competition is reportedly set to start in 2026, while the Rugby World Cup is set to follow a year later in Australia.
Some European rugby union clubs have also been contacted about the potential availability of Ponga, according to reports.
More to follow…
