Newcastle legend Andrew Johns lashes out at ‘RUBBISH’ Knights, declaring the ‘fans deserve better’, as skipper Kalyn Ponga is ruled out for the season
- Newcastle great Andrew Johns labelled the Knights season as ‘rubbish’
- Kalyn Ponga to miss the remainder of the season due to ongoing concussions
- Johns said without Ponga, the Knights lack all flare and show no signs of threat
- The Knights have lost their last three games conceding at least 40 points in each
Knights million-dollar man Kalyn Ponga has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2022 NRL season after the star fullback copped another blow to the head in his side’s trouncing against the Roosters on Friday night – capping off a ‘rubbish’ Newcastle year.
Ponga hit the turf hard after a lazy swinging arm from impromptu Rooster Matt Lodge came into contact with the Knight’s head.
After a failed head-injury-assessment, coach O’Brien’s side thumped back to their poor season standards as the tricolours ran in for eight tries.
Kalyn Ponga is held up by the Newcastle doctor after hitting the ground hard in a Matt Lodge tackle – he failed his HIA and is likely to be ruled out for the rest of 2022
Rugby league immortal and Newcastle great Andrew Johns said it’s becoming increasingly tough to watch a side that continues to show no improvement.
‘I just feel for the fans and Newcastle because they deserve better than that,’ Johns told NRL on nine.
‘In the short term, I don’t know what the answer is .. they keep turning up (fans) and that rubbish keeps getting tossed up.’
The 24-year-old is scheduled to meet with independent neurologist Chris Levi this week, who is likely to pull the pin on Ponga’s season, seeing as the Knights are no possibility of making the finals cut.
Newcastle great Andrew Johns labelled the Knights season as ‘rubbish’ saying the fans ‘deserve better than that’
Knights coach Adam O’Brien has struggled at the club helm, saying the 2022 season was ‘tough’ and ‘s****y’
The Maroons gun suffered his third concussion in only six weeks, with this recent knock putting his Kangaroos selection on the line for long term health reasons.
Lodge was charged with a grade-one high tackle charge and will be fined $1800 if he is to opt an early plea.
Former Roosters and Knights medical expert Ameer Ibrahim tweeted ‘Might be worth giving Ponga the rest of the season off with the ease of that last concussion.’
Ponga has undergone five HIA’s throughout the season, with each knock taking progressively more recovery time – like in the case of five eighth Luke Keary.
Roosters prop Matt Lodge swings a lazy arm at Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga, who was later sent off for a HIA and failed the protocol
The Roosters no.6 was sidelined for five weeks under the supervision of coach Trent Robinson after clutching his head in a clash against the Storm in round 14.
Post-game, Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien said it had been a ‘tough, s****y’ season, but revealed he would continue to field the same side, not prepared to hand debuts to players who hadn’t earned the jersey.
Wide World of Sports editor Simon Brunsdon tweeted ‘The @NRLKnights attack is laughable and it has been for years. Struggle to see where we have improved under O’Brien.’
Ponga penciled his long term security at the club in April, a mammoth five-year deal worth more than $1million a season.
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