Newcastle have a plan in place to keep their superstar fullback at the club long-term.
Newcastle recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan has blamed previous mismanagement at the Knights for a number of big-name departures and revealed his plan to get Kalyn Ponga to commit to a “lifetime deal” at the club. O’Sullivan has made no secret of his desire to recruit Eels playmaker Dylan Brown, but he says it’s part of building a roster capable of winning a premiership and convincing marquee star Ponga to stay, amid rumours the Roosters are interested in poaching the club captain.
Ponga is off-contract in 2027 and therefore free to speak with rival clubs from November 1 next year – unless he agrees an extension before then. There has been growing speculation Ponga could join the Roosters when his Newcastle contract ends, with the Tri Colours reportedly viewing him as an ideal replacement for James Tedesco when the veteran Chooks’ skipper retires.
Veteran league journalist Phil Rothfield spoke with O’Sullivan in a wide-ranging interview and revealed details of the conversation on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast. “I said, ‘Peter, there’s always this rumour around that when Teddy retires in two years at the Sydney Roosters that they’ll grab Ponga’,” Rothfield said. “Well, he (Ponga) is contracted until 2027 and Peter O’Sullivan said as soon as he fixes this roster, he’ll be able to then go to Ponga and say, ‘This is a team capable of winning this title, we’re not just happy for our fans to make the eight, we want you to sign a lifetime deal’.”
O’Sullivan blamed previous management at the Knights for the messy financial situation the club finds itself in, with fringe players such as Jackson Hastings and Jayden Brailey locked up on lucrative deals and ratchet clauses in many player contracts. And Rothfield says the Knights recruitment boss revealed the club was going to be $400,000 over the salary cap if they did not agree to release star forwards Daniel Saifiti, who has joined the Dolphins, and Leo Thompson, who will move to the Bulldogs after this season.
O’Sullivan told The Daily Telegraph: “We’re in this position now because of previous poorly-written contracts and ratchet clauses. “We need to change our roster to fix it. We’ve been making the eight and being competitive but we need to get into a position to win a title. That’s our obligation to our fans. We’re not going to be satisfied just making the semis each year.”
Knights working hard to sort out salary cap situation
Coach Adam O’Brien has cut Brailey from the Knights leadership group this season and it’s understood the hooker has been told he can explore his options elsewhere, with Phoenix Crossland seemingly emerging as the first-choice No.9. Brailey is coming off contract and the Knights have around $1.6 million of their salary cap tied up in two hookers, which helps explain the club’s move.