In a shocking blow to the Knights, Kalyn Ponga will be sidelined for three months due to Lisfranc injury.
After suffering a Lisfranc injury in his foot in Sunday’s loss to the Bulldogs, Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga is expected to miss a significant amount of time.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Ponga will need surgery, but he could return before the end of the regular season, which is good news for the Knights and the star fullback.
Unfortunately, Ponga will miss three State of Origin games, effectively locking Reece Walsh into the Maroons’ No. 1 jersey.
Lisfranc injuries affect the bones or ligaments in the middle of the foot, and Ponga is expected to be unable to put weight on it for up to two months.
It’s a devastating blow to the Knights, who rely heavily on Ponga.
He suffered a hip pointer injury in the first half of last week’s game against the Roosters, but was able to continue playing after receiving treatment at halftime.
Ponga’s injury has prompted a rugby league legend to criticize Newcastle for their handling of the fullback.
Penrith legend Mark Geyer believes the Knights made a mistake by playing Ponga on Sunday, citing the star fullback’s apparent discomfort while running out onto the field.
“Kalyn Ponga played yesterday…” It was clear that he had been injured, not only in the hip, but also in the foot,” Geyer said on his Triple M radio show Mick and MG in the Morning.
“Honestly, when you see a bloke running out of the tunnel onto a game with a pronounced limp… I’m not sure why he played in that game.
“The only thing I can think of is that he may have tried to be needled and the needle did not work.”
Co-host Mick Molloy agreed with Geyer, saying it was a “bad look” to see Ponga limping onto the field.
“That is some pretty bad management.” I would have expected someone from the medical department to approve that. “As you mentioned, a guy limping onto the field of battle does not look good,” Molloy said.
Newcastle is currently 15th on the ladder, with two wins and five losses.
The loss of Ponga makes it nearly impossible for the Knights to finish in the top eight.
According to early reports, the two options for replacing Ponga at fullback are talented rookie David Armstrong and veteran outside back Dane Gagai.
The speedy Armstrong, who was promoted to the team’s top 30 list at the start of the season, was outstanding for the Knights during the Pre-Season Challenge and has wowed many fans with his performance in the NSW Cup.
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