Kalyn Ponga lasts less than four minutes in NRL match against Sharks before ANOTHER head knock

Kalyn Ponga’s chances of Origin selection for Queensland are on a knife’s edge after he sustained yet another head knock in the Knights’ clash against the Sharks on Saturday.

Ponga, 25, was sent for a head injury (HIA) assessment after just four minutes following a collision with winger Ronaldo Mulitalo – and while he returned to the field midway through the first half, it would have concerned Maroons coach Billy Slater.

Slater will name his squad for the series opener against NSW on Monday – and if fit and firing, the fullback will be on the team sheet.

Ponga previously suffered his fourth head knock in ten months during the win over Wests Tigers on March 12, having missed the final six weeks of last season with a previous concussion.

It saw multiple rugby league experts call for Ponga to play permanently in the no.1 jersey, rather than feature at five-eighth for Newcastle where he is subjected to more front-line defensive duties.

Kalyn Ponga’s chances of Origin selection for Queensland are on a knife’s edge after yet another head knock in the Knights’ clash against the Sharks on Saturday

Ponga collided with Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo in just the fourth minute – but was later cleared to return, and scored a first half try

NRL great Corey Parker said there was no doubt the latest head knock would be playing on Ponga’s mind.

‘Without a doubt, it has to be a concern,’ he said.

‘Especially with the Origin team announcement just days away, Kalyn knows he will be the fullback [if he isn’t injured or concussed].

‘He has big backrowers running at him every game for the Knights, there has to be some doubt.’ 

On the hour mark, Ponga bizarrely didn’t play the ball on the fourth tackle just 10 metres from the Sharks try-line.

He mistakenly thought it was a changeover, sparking more concern about how concussed he actually was in the 26-6 defeat at Coffs Harbour on the NSW north coast.

The fullback told Fox League moments after fulltime it was merely an on-field ‘concentration error’ – and he is primed to play in the Origin opener on May 31 in Adelaide if picked by Slater. 

He also confirmed after the collision with Mulitalo he felt ‘fine’, and ‘knows what HIA’s are good and bad.’

Ponga also suffered his fourth head knock in ten months during the win over Wests Tigers on March 12 – having missed the final six weeks of last season with a previous concussion

Ponga recently travelled to Vancouver in Canada for testing on his brain activity using equipment that is unavailable in Australia.

‘At the end of that test, they had objective data on where my brain is at,’ he said.

‘There were some other tests we did as well, but within a few hours I knew where my head was at and whether I can keep playing footy.

‘Going over to Canada and getting that clarity, personally I found it so beneficial.’

Ponga made his NRL debut with the Cowboys in 2016, having turned down approaches from the Broncos, Storm and Roosters – as well as Queensland Reds [rugby] and the Brisbane Lions [AFL], such was his sporting pedigree.

He was also a champion junior golfer before deciding the NRL was the sporting path he wanted to follow.