It’s the ‘hard truths’ set to light a fuse under the race for the final spot in the NRL’s top eight.
Now Wayne Bennett and Kalyn Ponga will go toe-to-toe in a season-defining clash, two seasons after the Newcastle fullback left a meeting with the super coach “offended”.
Bennett sat down with Ponga before the Dolphins’ inaugural NRL season in 2022 in a bid to land the fullback at a marquee recruit.
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It was at this meeting that Bennett challenged one of the biggest names in rugby league, questioning his attitude and desire to succeed.
“Wayne’s meeting with Kalyn when he was trying to recruit him to the Dolphins in 2022. They went to Terrigal, I think it was the Star of the Sea resort,” Fox League’s Paul Crawley said on NRL360 on Tuesday night.
“He met Kalyn and gave him a few hard truths with his Clint Eastwood impersonation.
“He said ‘do you want to be a rock star and keep walking around like you’re a cool dude or do you want to be a footballer’.
“My understanding is Kalyn and his father took offence to that and thought ‘you don’t know the Newcastle we know’.
“He went back, re-signed with the Knights, decided to stay. Last year he had that brilliant season and he will be motivated to go out and prove Wayne wrong.”
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Bennett was of the belief Ponga was coasting in the Hunter, sitting inside his comfort zone and not performing to the best of his abilities.
He challenged the marquee superstar to make the move to the Dolphins and become a better player. Ponga’s response?
He won the Dally M Medal, steering the Knights to the finals whilst only playing 20 games after an ugly concussion cast doubts on his NRL future.
Bennett, meanwhile, shrugged off major doubts regarding the new franchise’s ability to be a competitive side, finishing in 13th after a strong start to the 2023 season.
They overcame recruitment issues, missing out on a host of marquee names, to now be on the brink of a finals appearance in only their second season in the top flight.
But it’s not the only source of tension.
Knights’ faithful also have a bone to pick with Bennett after a tumultuous three-years that stretched from 2012 to 2014. The super coach then ditched the Hunter club for the Broncos.
He missed the finals twice and lost a preliminary final against the Roosters.
His tenure also included Alex McKinnon’s tragic injury, Russell Packer being put in jail and Nathan Tinkler giving up ownership of the club after failing to pay players and staff.
Bennett has since been accused of leaving the Knights in a hole when he walked out on the struggling Hunter club, saying: “I believe it will take a number of years to reach an acceptable position and that is what I am unable to commit to. A longer term coach is crucial for future success.”
The club’s next coach Rick Stone was then sacked after 18 games. The next man in charge in 2016 was Nathan Brown who was public in his criticism of Bennett’s tenure.
“The reality is, when Wayne came to town, if he thought with his big head rather than his little head I wouldn’t have had to rebuild the joint,” Brown said, before ultimately apologising to the super coach.
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As for his rebuild, it didn’t go to plan.
The Knights won the wooden spoon in 2016 and 2017, recorded an 11th placed finish in 2018 before Brown departed midway through the 2019 campaign.
Then came Adam O’Brien who took over in 2020, immediately steering Newcastle to the finals in 2020 and 2021 before tallying only six wins in 2022 saw the Knights finish 14th.
Ponga suffered five head knocks and failed his HIA three times that season, failing to return to the field from Round 19 onwards before he was filmed in a toilet cubicle with teammate Kurt Mann.
Newcastle faithful were turning against their football team, but with a magical ten-game winning streak, the Knights stole back their hearts in 2023.
Ponga spearheaded a wildy impressive run all the way to the semi finals, eventually going down to the Warriors 40-10 across the Tasman.
Now the Knights are once again gunning to finish in the top eight, and spirits are high in the Hunter with rugby league legend Matty Johns saying: “There’s queues forming up in Newcastle already I reckon to get in the ground”.
Johns, who was a member of the Knights’ last premiership in 1997, is under no illusions how big of a task Sunday’s clash will be.
Bennett went deep into his bag of tricks to stun the Broncos in Round 26, making a host of positional changes despite not training with the new-look team during the week.
An hour before kick-off he moved Isaiya Katoa out of halfback and on to the bench, despite his recent strong form, and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to the centres.
Trai Fuller also shifted to fullback, Jake Averillo into five-eighth and Lachlan Hubner was promoted to the starting lock role.
Johns was of the belief Bennett is the key to the Dolphins’ potential victory, with the winner of Sunday’s clash slotting into eighth spot on the ladder.
“Wayne concerns me, Wayne concerns me. I have watched the Dolphins in the last month or so and they haven’t looked up,” Johns said on the Matty Johns podcast.
“I’m looking at Wayne and I’m thinking to myself, ‘this old bastard, is he just holding on, and holding on and he’s elevating them late’.
“For that final, pinch a couple of wins and that will keep them up. Because if he had them up about a month ago there’s a fair chance they go into the finals and don’t make an impact.
“It’s like he only really pulled the whip out last week and really elevated them and along the way knocked out the Broncos… he’s got the Knights too.”
Johns also outlined how impressive it would be for the Dolphins to make the finals, considering the hurdles new franchises face in the early days.
“To be one win away from finals in only your second year, when you’re recruiting in an age where talent is thin, he’s done a remarkable job,” he said.
“Cowboys second year 17th, the Warriors 11th, the Crushers, rest in peace, they cam last. The Perth Reds 16th, and the Storm. Remarkably, they win the comp.
“To be on the cusp of making the finals, it’s a mighty effort.”
So who will be key for the Knights if they want to win? You guessed it, Kalyn Ponga.
The gun fullback delivered arguably his best performance of the season against the Titans in Round 26, breaking 10 tackles and scoring two tries.
Speaking after the clash, Ponga made it clear the Knights know just how important their Dolphins fixture is and called on the crowd for inspiration.
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“We can feel it, we can hear it, it gives us a boost and no doubt there will be 25,000+ there next week,” Ponga said.
“Having the Hunter behind you is huge, we’re excited by that. We’ve got a job to do and we know what they want and what they expect.
“I’m calling for the Hunter to get around us and turn up next week on Sunday and give us that support. It’s do or die for us, we have to win.”
Cronk, admitting he sounds like a broken record, was of the belief the Knights need Ponga to fire to best an in-form Bennett side.
“I think Wayne is the key for the Dolphins, and I hate seeing this because I say it every time about the Knights, but Kalyn,” he said.
“If Kalyn is on and ready to take Newcastle on his back, I think the Knights can get it done.”
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