League ace Kalyn Ponga would consider shock switch to NZ

Kalyn Ponga is open to switching representative allegiances to play for New Zealand in a bombshell move that would end his State of Origin career.

Before making any firm decisions, the injury-plagued fullback first wants to piece together consistent football at Newcastle, who are fighting to bounce back from a disastrous wooden-spoon NRL season.

WA-born Ponga is eligible to represent either Australia or New Zealand, given Māori ancestry on his father's side. But he aligned with the Kangaroos and made his Origin debut in 2018.

His only senior caps for Australia came at the 2019 Nines tournament, with the 27-year-old controversially ruling himself out of Kangaroos duty in 2024 to prioritise NRL pre-season commitments.

Ponga's Brisbane-born former Queensland teammate AJ Brimson set a precedent for switching allegiances by joining England's Ashes campaign last year.

Brimson's case bears similarities to Ponga - he had only featured for Australia at the 2019 Nines and switched to align himself with his mother's English heritage.

Ponga would be a significant acquisition for New Zealand ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but the fullback is yet to lodge a formal application with the International Rugby League that would get the ball rolling.

He represented the Māori side in last year's All Stars match and was clear when asked whether he would be open to a switch to the Kiwis.

"Yeah, I would," Ponga told AAP at the NRL season launch.

"Obviously, with the rules and everything, I'm not allowed to (at the moment), but I would."

Not every player is approved by the IRL in their bids to switch allegiances. Parramatta utility Dylan Walker was rejected in his application to switch from Australia to New Zealand ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

But there is a sense that a player of Ponga's calibre, who has never represented Australia in a Test, would be judged favourably

If approved, the switch would be considered final, meaning it would end Ponga's Origin career.

Ponga could lodge an application after playing for Queensland this Origin series and likely have it approved in time for the World Cup.

"There's a lot to weigh up," said Ponga, who has played 10 games for the Maroons.

"I've got to take care of what I'm doing at the Knights and how I'm performing there before I worry about anything else. That's definitely my focus."

Ponga is itching to rally the Knights up the ladder this year after missing the end of their nightmare 2025 season with a foot injury that delayed the start of his pre-season.

"I'm back from that now," he said.

"I'm feeling all right, feeling keen for the season, obviously, all this excitement with new players and everything. Ready to get into it, really. It's been a long couple of months."

It hasn't taken long for Ponga to warm to new Knights recruit and would-be Kiwis teammate Dylan Brown.

The ex-Parramatta playmaker, who signed a record-breaking 10-year deal last year, won the infamous yo-yo fitness test on the opening days of his first pre-season at the Knights.

Still sidelined with his foot injury at the time, Ponga was in awe.

"To come in day one and put that stamp on it was pretty impressive," he said.

Click here to read article