{"id":378931,"date":"2024-03-23T21:01:26","date_gmt":"2024-03-23T22:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=378931"},"modified":"2024-03-24T01:03:38","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T01:03:38","slug":"twin-injuries-put-ponga-on-path-to-origin-redemption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=378931","title":{"rendered":"Twin injuries put Ponga on path to Origin redemption"},"content":{"rendered":"

A week ago it seemed Newcastle<\/a> superstar Kalyn Ponga<\/a> would struggle to get back into Queensland<\/a>'s State of Origin<\/a> team.<\/p>\n

Now he looms as the saviour for coach Billy Slater<\/a>, and could in fact be called on to play two different positions for the Maroons during this year's series.<\/p>\n

\ufeffPonga was "disappointed" last year when he was snubbed by Slater<\/a> and lost his Origin jumper to Broncos whizkid Reece Walsh.<\/p>\n

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He was offered it back when Walsh was injured before game three, but opted to decline and focus on helping the Knights to finals, which they achieved.<\/p>\n

\ufeffNow the 25-year-old is fit and firing and looms as a certainty to return to Slater's squad once selection rolls around in late May.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ponga could prove the missing piece to the puzzle as injuries threaten both Walsh and five-eighth Cameron Munster's availability.<\/p>\n

Munster hasn't been seen this season as he battles to overcome a groin problem, while Walsh suffered a facial fracture on Thursday night and faces up to two months in recovery.<\/p>\n

\ufeffSpeaking before Walsh's injury, league legend Andrew Johns suggested Ponga could replace Munster at No.6 for Queensland.<\/p>\n

Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and<\/strong><\/em> 9Now<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

"I think Kalyn would go to five-eighth," Johns told Wide World of Sports' Immortal Behaviour<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

"If Munster is not there I think Kalyn plays five-eighth."\ufeff\ufeff<\/p>\n

The debate is whether Walsh and Ponga could squeeze into the same team if only one starting position was available.<\/p>\n

Queensland great Darren Lockyer – who was a gun fullback then five-eighth during an illustrious career – isn't a fan of the idea.<\/p>\n

\"Slater<\/p>\n

"\ufeffI know Billy holds both of them in really high regard," Lockyer told Wide World of Sport's QLDER<\/em>.<\/p>\n

"There is not too many 80-minute hookers out there anymore, and I think you've got to carry\ufeff a second hooker.<\/p>\n

"If you carry a second hooker I don't think you can carry that 14 (utility).<\/p>\n

"\ufeffBoth of them are best at fullback – we did the Ponga exercise last year when he went to five-eighth… I'm not saying he can't do it, but an out-and-out fullback sitting on the bench is going to put your middle under a lot of pressure.<\/p>\n

"(Ponga has) had a taste of playing up front last year, and he played wing when he was at the Cowboys\ufeff. He would have more experience as a utility.<\/p>\n

"The only way you could \ufeffmake it work is (if) Ben Hunt was to come off and Harry Grant went on (at hooker), Ben Hunt then becomes a utility."<\/p>\n

Lockyer's comments also came before Walsh was injured on Thursday night.<\/p>\n

\ufeffSlater is likely to pick his Maroons squad for game one following round 12.<\/p>\n

The return dates of both Munster and Walsh have not been confirmed.\ufeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A week ago it seemed Newcastle superstar Kalyn Ponga would struggle to get back into Queensland's State of Origin team. Now he looms as the […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":364166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378931"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=378931"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":378934,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/378931\/revisions\/378934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/364166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=378931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=378931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=378931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}