NRL superstar Kalyn Ponga has been accused of being overpaid and giving Newcastle reason to doubt whether he’s fully committed to the club after he and a teammate were caught being thrown out of a pub toilet cubicle last weekend.
Footy journalist Paul Kent said the fact the fullback was drinking heavily with fellow Knight Kurt Mann while his team was playing shows he’s part of the culture problem at the troubled team.
‘The fact that the captain of the club, who is paid a million dollars a year has such little care factor that rather than sit at home and watch and see how they perform, he is out on the sauce,’ Kent said on Fox’s NRL 360 program on Tuesday night
His comments were backed up by his fellow writer David Riccio, who said the Knights have doubts about Ponga’s commitment to the side.
‘There is definitely an underlying sentiment within the Newcastle Knights on whether Kalyn Ponga is 1000 per cent committed to this footy club,’ he said.
Ponga is seen being thrown out of the toilet cubicle, drink in hand, at a pub last Saturday while his team were losing to Brisbane
The star fullback and his teammate Kurt Mann (pictured) have now been drug tested by the NRL since the scandal blew up on Monday
Riccio added that Newcastle are worried about the fact Ponga turned in his best game of the year for Queensland’s State of Origin side but hasn’t come close to that level of play for his club.
Host Braith Anasta also jumped in, saying Newcastle are to blame for signing Ponga on a huge five-year deal despite knowing he is inconsistent on the field, and said the fullback ‘deadset won lotto’ when he landed his huge deal.
Meanwhile, NRL legend Paul Gallen is adamant Kalyn Ponga and Knights teammate Kurt Mann need to be punished – even if they produce clean drug tests.
It follows the star fullback – who is on an annual salary of $1.2million – and utility Mann being chucked out of a Newcastle pub toilet cubicle on Saturday.
Speaking on 2GB’s Wide World of Sports radio, Gallen believes a heavy sanction from club management will send the appropriate message.
‘You’ve got the highest-profile player at the club (Ponga), and probably the highest-paid player at the club not playing because he’s injured,’ the prize fighter boxer said.
‘You had another player there who has a muscle strain (Mann) — and they’re out on the drink. No wonder they are going no good.’
NRL legend turned prizefight boxer Paul Gallen believes Knights stars Kalyn Ponga and Knights teammate Kurt Mann need to be punished – even if they produce clean drug tests
It follows the star fullback – who is on an annual salary of $1.2million – and utility Mann (pictured) being chucked out of a Newcastle pub toilet cubicle on Saturday
Gallen, 41, added he ‘couldn’t care less what happened in the toilet’ and that the footballers ‘could be kissing for all I care’ amid speculation they were doing party drugs, which Daily Mail Australia is not implying.
Both Ponga and Mann were drug tested on Tuesday after the NRL integrity unit launched an investigation into the matter.
If the results prove to be positive for illicit substances, it may be kept in house if it is a first offence for the footballers.
However, a second strike would result in an immediate 12-week ban.
On Monday, newly appointed Knights football boss Peter Parr admitted the duo may not be stood down or fined.
‘We haven’t discussed any punishment yet because we don’t know if there’s any punishment to be had,’ he said.
Ponga’s father Andre offered an innocent explanation for the saga, stating the teammates were in the cubicle together due to his son being ill
Gallen (pictured after winning the 2016 NRL Grand Final) also stated he ‘couldn’t care less what happened in the toilet’ and that the footballers ‘could be kissing for all I care’ amid speculation they were doing party drugs
‘We’ll run the process, work out exactly what’s happened or what hasn’t happened and then make some decisions there.
‘But we don’t have to make decisions on that yet because the process hasn’t been finalised and, as I said, we don’t even know whether punishment is necessary yet.’
Ponga’s father Andre offered an innocent explanation for the saga, telling News Corp the teammates were in the cubicle together due to his son being ill.
‘He (Kalyn) made an exciting house purchase on Saturday and celebrated with a few mates drinking,’ he said.
‘(He was) sick in the toilet and his mate (Mann) went in to help him.’
Ponga, 24, won’t play for the Knights again this season due after suffering a number of concussions this year.
It remains to be seen if he will be named in Australia’s World Cup squad while Mann is an outside chance to feature in Newcastle’s final game of the season versus Cronulla on September 4.