Andrew Johns has said that Kalyn Ponga is in the midst of one of the best stretches of form the NRL has ever seen.
Ponga’s resurgence has been one of the key factors in the Knights midseason resurgence, which has seen them win their last eight straight matches to have them sitting fifth on the ladder.
They can lock in a home final with a victory over the Dragons on Saturday night.
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Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Immortal Behaviour, Johns said Ponga’s form was in the same mould as Jarryd Hayne’s, who lifted Parramatta from the cellars to the 2009 grand final, Brett Mullins’ sustained form through the mid-90s, and Tom Trbojevic in 2021.
“Those three players … Kalyn’s doing that now. Kalyn is in that class, [with] what he’s done in the last eight weeks. It’s been unbelievable,” he said.
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But despite Ponga’s form, Johns said he couldn’t see the Knights winning the premiership.
“They’ve won the last eight straight, so you could say they’ve been playing pretty much some semi-final footy,” he said.
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But should they go the distance and win the big dance, the Knights will have had to win 13 on the trot.
“They’ve been right up for it … [but] it’ll take a huge effort. No one’s done it since the NRL started. Parramatta went close,” Johns said.
“I spoke to Mitchell Moses about it recently and he said, ‘Mate, grand final week I was flat, flat as a pancake’.”
“It’s just so hard. It’s physically hard, but it’s more mentally. To get yourself up to go out and play a big game mentally. It takes so much out of you. So, I’d say, I would love to say yes, but it’s highly doubtful.”
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
