Australia coach Mal Meninga has responded to Kayln Ponga’s shock decision to knock back an offer to play for the Kangaroos.
The Newcastle fullback was initially selected by the Aussies for their upcoming Pacific Championships campaign, before all hell broke loose with a released statement from Ponga’s camp.
"The Knights captain has informed the club he will be removing himself from eligibility for international selection for the Australian Kangaroos this year," the statement noted.
"Kalyn has made this decision to ensure his sole focus is on an uninterrupted pre-season, aiming towards starting the preparation for the 2025 NRL season from the first session with his club."
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Mal Meninga responds to shock Kalyn Ponga call
Meninga has revealed he has since spoken to the Queensland representative about his decision to turn his back on the Kangaroos, in order to get himself in the best shape possible for the Knights.
"I’ve spoken to Kalyn in confidence and that conversation will stay private," the coach told SEN Afternoons.
"I think he wants to play for his country. Just at the moment, he feels like that’s not on his agenda and he made a decision that he wants to devote and repay the Knights for how they’ve stuck by him.
"I think that’s a fair excuse, to be honest with you."
Ponga has endured injury-plagued seasons throughout his time in the Hunter and has only reached the 20-game mark in a campaign once in the past five years.
A foot injury restricted him to just 16 games this season, while concussion-related issues threatened to bring his career to a premature end in 2023, before he returned to action to claim a stunning Dally M Medal win.
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Meninga admitted that while he understood Ponga’s reasoning for his desire to withdraw from the international tournament, he had been left disappointed with the lack of clarity.
The coach called for greater transparency between clubs and players in the future when it came to representing the Australian side.
"I found out just through the press release, unfortunately," Meninga said.
"That’s the first I think anyone knew about it, to be honest. I think this was done independently, that’s my read on it all.
"I feel that it’s the process that we need to improve. We need to get better communication out of the clubs and players and vice-versa. This is a catalyst to allow that to happen."
