Two into No.1 can go: Ponga says he and Walsh can coexist in Maroons team

2 months ago 18

Kalyn Ponga hopes there is room for both Reece Walsh and himself in the Queensland Origin squad as the attacking dynamos get set for an enthralling selection battle before this year’s interstate series.

Ponga and Walsh have alternated in the Maroons No.1 jersey in the past few seasons, depending on form and fitness.

Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh are expected to fight it out for the Queensland No.1 jersey.

Ponga was man of the match in the 2022 series decider, but after returning from a series of concussions, he was displaced by Walsh the following season.

The Newcastle skipper had to wait until game three of the 2024 campaign before he was recalled, on the bench, with Walsh preferred as Queensland’s last line of defence.

Last season, Ponga was named at No.1 in the first two Origins, before a broken bone in his foot ruled him out of the decider. On that occasion, he was replaced by Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, and Walsh played no part in the series.

But Walsh finished the season in a blaze of glory by winning the Clive Churchill Medal in Brisbane’s grand final triumph and then played three Tests for the Kangaroos on their successful Ashes tour, while Ponga was recovering from his injury with his foot in a protective boot.

If both players are fit and firing, Queensland coach Billy Slater will have an embarrassment of riches at his disposal for this year’s series, and Ponga predicted the competition would bring out the best in both he and Walsh.

“I think it’s been awesome over the last three years, probably, with Reece,” Ponga said. “We’ve always had this thing where we want to fight for that position. I think whoever earns it, earns it. That’s the way it is in the Queensland jumper ... I definitely want that jersey. I’ll be doing everything I can to get it.”

Asked if he felt they could both feature in the Queensland squad, as was the case in 2024 when Walsh started at fullback, and Ponga was used as an interchange impact player, Ponga replied: “Hopefully. That would be nice.”

Ponga has 10 Origin appearances to his name, for five wins, while Walsh has been involved in three wins in his five Origins.

Kalyn Ponga is yet to play senior international football but has represented the Junior Kangaroos.

While Ponga was happy to declare his Origin ambition, he was less forthcoming about his intentions regarding the possibility of representing New Zealand at this year’s World Cup.

The current eligibility rules prevent the 27-year-old from representing both the Maroons and Kiwis, but the ARL Commission has been considering changing the criteria to allow dispensation for the likes of Ponga, Victor Radley and Addin Fonua-Blake, who are dual qualified.

“I don’t think it’s even possible, is it?” Ponga said when asked if he had any thoughts about potentially representing the Kiwis. There’s no point in commenting on hearsay.”

If Ponga was keeping his cards close to his chest, the Knights did their best to assist him by editing that portion of his press conference out of the video they posted on their website.

The Kiwis would no doubt welcome Ponga, who said in a recent radio interview with New Zealand station Sport Nation: “All my values, who I am, everything that I am, really is back in New Zealand. It’s my family, it’s my culture.”

Newcastle’s recruit Dylan Brown said after winning the Pacific Championships with the Kiwis: “It’d be awesome seeing him in the black jersey, because he’s a great talent.”

Kiwi hooker Phoenix Crossland, a long-time teammate of Ponga’s at Newcastle, added: “It’s up to him, and obviously the rules as well ... I think he’s pretty keen.”

Seven months after undergoing foot surgery, Ponga said he was “ticking boxes” in his painstaking recovery and would “definitely” be fit for the season-opening clash with North Queensland in Las Vegas, although he was uncertain about playing in trial matches or the All Stars.

“When he came back and [started] running, they noticed they got a bit of bone bruising there,” Knights coach Justin Holbrook explained.

“If you keep running on that, it can lead to something worse and a fracture. That’s why we took the precautionary approach, put it in a boot and said back off and let it settle down.

“In particular, the time of year it was. If we’re already playing, it’s March-April, we probably don’t have that approach.

“If it’s a bit sore, but he’s OK, we push on. But the fact that it’s his time of year, I’d much rather play it safe now than when we’re playing week-to-week. That’s why we’ve done it the way we have.”