Kangaroos legends Steve Roach and Benny Elias have slammed Kalyn Ponga’s decision to snub the Australian jersey amid calls to ban him from representing Australia for life.
Ponga’s decision to put his hopes of winning a premiership with Newcastle ahead of the Kangaroos’ Pacific Championships campaign has divided the NRL world.
However, Roach believes playing for Australia doesn’t seem to mean enough to Ponga, after previously committing his allegiance to Queensland to play State of Origin.
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“I think it’s bad the way he did it just pulling out,” Roach said on NRL 360.
“I think it disrespects our jumper. Couldn’t he have gone in there and done the medical? My shoulder or my hip or whatever. He would have had some sort of injury. They wanted him to play.
“I think it’s look bad for all the young kids out there that strive to play for Australia.
“I would never, ever, ever have thought if I could make it to play for Australia, I’d do anything to get that green and gold jumper.
“So to me, it just proves that it doesn’t mean that much to him.”
Elias agreed Ponga has handled the situation poorly, but noted there has been precedents in the past with players like Brett Kenny and Jamie Lyon. However, both those players had already served Australia well.
“I think it’s been badly done,” Elias said.
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“I mean, he could have done it in many ways, but the actual fact is it’s wearing the green and gold. It’s the ultimate. That’s why you play from day dot is to play and represent your country.
“However, in saying that, the history of the game of Rugby League when it comes to playing for Australia, we had great players (who have done it).
“Brett Kenny in particular, he decided he did not want to play for Australia anymore, but he still played New South Wales and he went back and played for Paramatta. He has a choice.”
Roach believes Ponga may have pledged his allegiance to Australia in order to play State of Origin without realising the magnitude of his decision.
“He might have thought that might be a way that he could play for Queensland in the State of Origin,” Roach said.
“If he made himself eligible to play for Queensland, so that he can play for Australia. So he’s probably done it that way. I want to play Origin.
“That’s a pinnacle of the game to a lot of young blokes now.
“So he’s denounced the Australian jumper. I don’t like it.
“Do you think a baggy green cap, an Australian cricketer, that got picked to wear that baggy green cap would say, I want to denounce it? I don’t want to play? No chance. No way.”
James Hooper called for Ponga to be given a life ban to make a statement.
“If I’m Mal Meninga I’d set an example, I’d just give him life,” Hooper said.
“Just put the red pen through him. You don’t know where the green and gold. OK, no problem.
“Guess what? We’ve got Dylan Edwards, Reece Walsh, Tommy Turbo, James Tedesco, Latrell Mitchell. They’re all happy to wear the green and gold.
“So if you don’t want to and you’re not injured and there’s been no decent reasoning provided as to why, aside from, I want to win a Premiership with Newcastle, well, every player wants to win a Premiership at NRL club level.
“And most players, who never get the opportunity to play in the NRL, but are playing New South Wales Cup, Ron Massey, Sydney Shield, they’d saw an arm or a leg off to be in the conversation to play for Australia. They’re not getting paid that money.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis revealed Ponga had called Meninga to apologise, but that may not prevent him from being sanctioned by the NRL.
“The news is that Kalyn reached out to Mal Meninga today, and there’s no doubt Mal is furious, and Peter V’landys, and the hierarchy at the ARL Commission were furious,” Carayannis said.
“Not only the fact that Kalyn has pulled out of the Kangaroos, the fact that he didn’t reach out to Mal yesterday to inform him of the decision.
“Off the back of that, there’s been threats of sanctions towards Kalyn Ponga and the Knights, and potential of him missing games.”
Hooper believes Ponga can’t have it both ways and is guilty of sending mixed messages.
“Trying to disseminate what’s actually going on in amongst these tea leaves, I think Kalyn’s taking the piss,” Hooper said.
“We went and had a look today at some interviews that he’s done previously with New Zealand Television, and he speaks openly and glowingly about what a passionate and proud Maori and Kiwi he is.
“Kalyn’s parents are proud Kiwis, so they’re more entitled than not to want their son to represent New Zealand.
“Where I think he’s taking the piss is, as recently as last weekend he was on radio, saying that he wanted to play for Australia.
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“Well speaking to people today, I don’t believe that to be the case.
“I think he’s got the wrong people around him in his ear. I think they’re giving him bad advice. And I think that they have put it in his head that, maybe you don’t want to represent Australia, so just put a statement out saying that you don’t want to wear the green and gold.”
Gorden Tallis agreed with Roach that Origin has become bigger than International rugby league to some.
“Is the game at fault here because Sonny Bill Williams was such a player and State of Origin missed him,” Tallis said.
“There’s always that talk about him and Sam Burgess, where State of Origin’s the pinnacle.
“Have we made a mistake trying to build State of Origin up so much, trying to get the best athletes in that game, but then they don’t want to play for Australia?”
Hopper believes Ponga’s case has shined a light on the game’s predicament with young players.
“The answer is yes and this is one of the cases in point,” Hooper replied.
“Kalyn clearly as a young teenager coming through was in the Cowboys system. Jonathan Thurston was captain of that team. He’s got stars in his eyes about wanting to play for Queensland.
“Don’t forget he moved to Mackay when he was a teenager. He was born in Western Australia. Then moved back to New Zealand, was a gun golfer, grew up over there until his teenage years. And then when he went to Mackay, that’s when he fell in love with rugby league. That’s how he qualifies for Queensland.
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“But I just find the whole thing makes a mockery of the green and gold jumper. And the green and gold jumper needs to be the absolute pinnacle of what Australian rugby league represents and stands for.
“And I think Kalyn has done that a disservice by handling this the way that he has.”
Carayannis believes Ponga faces a ban at each level of the game over his actions.
“They’re not happy at all. They’re threatening to ban Kalyn Ponga from games next season,” Carayannis said.
“That’s definitely one option that the NRL will consider. But it’s, it’s interesting if the NRL do go down that path, because we see players pull out of some other nations as well, that aren’t Australia.
“We see players pull out for Tonga and those sort of nations as well. So it’s going to blur the lines significantly if a club is punished.
“All these things are available to the NRL at the moment. A ban at club level, a ban at the representative level, which is Australia, potentially, and Origin as well.”
Anasta believes Ponga’s advisers need to cop a fair share of the blame.
“You would have thought him and his team would have thought about this a lot more than what they have, it just doesn’t seem right” Anasta said.
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