Ponga and Latrell rumours.

[King Salvo]

Les Tricolors will be devasted if his beloved "Wayne's World" agrees to Coach Souths.

I wonder how this will pan out if "Wayne's World" agrees to Coach Souths in the not too distant future - Will he step down as Dolphin's Head Coach?

I would think his role as Dolphins Head Coach will become untenable if he agrees to Coach Souths when the 2024 NRL season is still in progress.

" Wayne's World ' may even take some Dolphins players with him - I can see a few requesting a release if contracted past 2024 to follow him to Souths.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Les Tricolors will be devasted if his beloved "Wayne's World" agrees to Coach Souths.

I wonder how this will pan out if "Wayne's World" agrees to Coach Souths in the not too distant future - Will he step down as Dolphin's Head Coach?

I would think his role as Dolphins Head Coach will become untenable if he agrees to Coach Souths when the 2024 NRL season is still in progress.

" Wayne's World ' may even take some Dolphins players with him - I can see a few requesting a release if contracted past 2024 to follow him to Souths.

Bennett was only contracted to coach the Dolphins for 2 seasons. The Dolphins players would know that this was his last season regardless of whether he was going souffs or not.

[Mickie Lane]

Ol Skeletor is the only bloke that can straighten that club out.
He’ll get results no doubt about it.
Some guy who was talking on the Big sports breakfast this morning said that our Crighton is going to sign with Souths for next year. We’ll wait & see.

[King Salvo]

Bennett was only contracted to coach the Dolphins for 2 seasons. The Dolphins players would know that this was his last season regardless of whether he was going souffs or not.

I think the plan was that Wayne's World would be in a Coaching Directors role at the Dolphins from 2025.

[roosterchook]

No to Latrell. He’s not the same player he was with Easts. He got his star reputation here but lost it at Souths and his form is below reserve grade and keeps getting suspended. Sorry but no thanks. Ponga - way too injury prone no thanks. What we need is to offer Manu a million $ deal for life. You won’t ever find a better player than him anywhere else. He’s worth his weight in gold. He focuses on footy and is a great inspiration to the entire team. $$$$ should never be an obstacle where Manu is concerned.

[player 1]

No to Latrell. He’s not the same player he was with Easts. He got his star reputation here but lost it at Souths and his form is below reserve grade and keeps getting suspended. Sorry but no thanks. Ponga - way too injury prone no thanks. What we need is to offer Manu a million $ deal for life. You won’t ever find a better player than him anywhere else. He’s worth his weight in gold. He focuses on footy and is a great inspiration to the entire team. $$$$ should never be an obstacle where Manu is concerned.

I agree re Manu. He's 27. Makes sense to give him a 4-5 year 1 million per year contract.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Does anyone with any serious inside info know whether Manu is a chance to do a back flip now that Kez is retiring?

[theGman]

Les Tricolors will be devasted if his beloved "Wayne's World" agrees to Coach Souths.

Your beloved Hutch the Clutch could follow.
You could then join The Burrow and feel at home with other like minded league fans

[King Salvo]

Your beloved Hutch the Clutch could follow.
You could then join The Burrow and feel at home with other like minded league fans

The Mercurial "Mr Fix It" Hutchinator - 71 games and Premiership winner at the Roosters in 2019 - yes he was part of the squad in 2019 so when they have the 20 year anniversary in 2039 the Hutchinator will be there - 4 games and played halfback in the last Roosters team to beat Penrith - Round 24 2019 - 22 to 6

https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/08/14/...re-than-handy/

Very nice of you to acknowledge the Hutchinator as a Clutch player

Clutch performance in sports refers to the phenomenon where athletes excel under pressure, commonly known as "in the clutch". These moments can occur at any point during the game, and involve plays that significantly impact the outcome of the game.

https://www.roosters.com.au/news/202...nd-fatherhood/

[Arties Pie]

I agree re Manu. He's 27. Makes sense to give him a 4-5 year 1 million per year contract.

No centre is worth 1Million a year, even Manu. His involvement at Centre is far lower than what it is when he is playing Fullback.

Now if Teddy was going to relinquish his Fullback spot to Manu then sure why not.

[King Salvo]

Does anyone with any serious inside info know whether Manu is a chance to do a back flip now that Kez is retiring?

Manu is off to Japanese Rugby and nothing he has said indicates he will be returning to League - The Rugby World Cup is in 2027 - To play in this for the All Blacks or be eligible for selection he will need to play for the one of the NZ teams in the Super Rugby comp as the All Black don't select players who are not playing Rugby domestically.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Manu is off to Japanese Rugby and nothing he has said indicates he will be returning to League - The Rugby World Cup is in 2027 - To play in this for the All Blacks or be eligible for selection he will need to play for the one of the NZ teams in the Super Rugby comp as the All Black don't select players who are not playing Rugby domestically.

Thanks King, I understand how international selection works in Aust/NZ.

Things have changed since Keary"s retirement call this week is my point. Surely the club can now put forward a counter offer of potentially $1.2m per season and a starting spot in the spine. I know Robbo indicated that Sandon is the future, but with the extra cash now available there should be a counter offer for Manu IMO.

[HDTONE]

Yeah who else Johnson, Illias, Bennett and every other off contract player.

ai mean look imagine how much Illias can teach Sammy about being a half.......hang on.

[A Country Member]

It's easy to grin, when your ship comes in
And you've got the stock market beat.
But the man worthwhile, is the man who can smile,
When his shorts are too tight in the seat.

Okay, Pookie. Do the honors.

[Spirit of 66]

Knights wary of Roosters raid as third party speaks out over Ponga deal

May 14, 2024 — 6.56pmNewcastle powerbrokers have privately raised concerns over the future of Kalyn Ponga at the club following revelations the fullback’s father, Andre, met with a Roosters official at a Sydney hotel a fortnight ago.

The Herald reported on Monday night that the NRL was investigating a third-party deal linked to Ponga that could have salary cap implications for the Knights.

That investigation relates to a third-party agreement (TPA) with Blake Cannavo, a wealthy and influential figure at the Knights who is an advisor to chief executive Phil Gardner.

Knights officials fear an approach to the NRL by Andre Ponga to seek clarity on a number of contractual issues could be the first steps in a plan to extract Kalyn from his Knights deal.

Knights sources with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity in order to speak freely told this masthead that Gardner recently spotted Andre Ponga having coffee with Roosters recruitment manager Clint Zammit, as part of a regular catch-up, at the Pullman Hotel in Sydney’s CBD.

Zammit, who used to work at the Knights and led the negotiations that led to Ponga extending his contract at the Knights in 2022 until the end of 2027, is a close friend of the Ponga family.

The recruitment manager signed Kalyn Ponga to the North Queensland Cowboys as a teenager and is still in regular dialogue with Andre despite joining the Roosters in 2023.

A senior Roosters official told the Herald on Tuesday night that the club was not attempting to lure Ponga out of his Knights deal and that Zammit had met with Andre Ponga in an unofficial capacity. Newcastle’s recruitment manager Adam Doyle was also seen at the Pullman Hotel with Ponga and Zammit on their way to a junior representative game.
This masthead reported on Monday night that the NRL’s investigation was triggered after questions were raised about whether the TPA was at arm’s length from the club.

The TPA, worth close to $50,000 a year, was struck with Cannavo, a close associate of Gardner, and was agreed in June, 2020 when Ponga extended and upgraded his contract with the Knights. The TPA was meant to run until 2025.

At the time the TPA was agreed, Cannavo had no official role with the club. But in 2023 he began to work closely with Gardner as an advisor and a volunteer with the club’s pathways system.

The Herald can reveal Ponga’s father called a meeting with the Knights a fortnight ago to discuss his son’s contract.

He then requested a meeting with the NRL, which took place alongside Knights officials last Friday, to seek clarity around a ratchet clause in his son’s contract and about the TPA with Cannavo.

Sources with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity to speak freely told the Herald Andre sought advice from head office on whether Kalyn was still entitled to receive the TPA from 2023 to 2025 after signing a new five-year, $6.7 million contract in April 2022.

The NRL will need to determine whether the TPA became null and void at the point of the new contract being registered with the NRL under fresh conditions, including the removal of a player option included in his previous agreement.
Kalyn and Andre Ponga in Newcastle.Gettynormal

Following the publication of the Herald’s story on Monday night, Ponga’s father said there was no money outstanding from the deal, with all commitments having been honoured.

In a text message to this masthead on Monday night that Cannavo was copied into, Andre Ponga said he had just spoken with Cannavo on the phone and that “Blake and I have no issues or problems at all and everything’s cosier [sic].”

Fox Sports reported on Tuesday night that Cannavo had made a $250,000 payment to the Pongas in the past 24 hours to settle the issue.

Cannavo strongly rejected suggestions that any payment had been made and that he had fulfilled all his financial obligations.
Kalyn Ponga, of the Newcastle Knights, after winning the 2023 NRL Dally M Medal.Getty Imagesnormal

“No money was ever owed,” Cannavo told the Herald. “The third party finished on the 5th of April, 2022 when the new contract was on foot and no payment has been made as per the story released on Fox Sports tonight. The story written stating that I had paid the Pongas $250,000 today is completely false.”

The Herald first attempted to contact Ponga’s father about the TPA on Monday last week, but he did not return calls. He did not return calls on Tuesday.

The TPA was one of several approved by the NRL for Ponga before the 26-year-old signed his latest Knights contract, which made him the highest-paid player in the game.

He does not have any TPAs now, having wanted all income registered under the cap rather than from external sources when he re-signed.

While the Cannavo TPA was signed off by the NRL, the governing body is now exploring whether the deal was genuinely independent of the club, as demanded by the game’s salary cap rules.
Kalyn Ponga kicking a goal.Getty Imagesnormal

Players must perform a service in exchange for receiving payments under TPAs. These often include public and corporate appearances. The NRL may need to ascertain what service Ponga undertook as part of the deal with Cannavo.

If the NRL concludes the deal did not comply with the stipulation that TPAs be at arm’s length, the salary cap auditor has discretionary powers to retrospectively include payments into the Knights’ salary cap.

The NRL will also need to determine the extent of the role Cannavo played in Ponga securing a release from his former management company in 2019, which included a $100,000 payment to part ways with his old agent and allow his father to represent him.

The other issue Andre Ponga wanted to address with the NRL and the Knights was a belief that his son was owed close to $160,000 under ratchet clause triggers.

In 2022, the NRL announced that the salary cap would increase by 18.23 per cent in 2023. At the time, the NRL had not signed off on a collective bargaining agreement with the Rugby League Players’ Association.

The following year, when the CBA was agreed with the RLPA, the NRL announced a revised annual increase in the salary cap of 15.55 per cent for 2024 to 2027, down almost three per cent on what the amount was expected to be when Ponga signed his new deal.

The RLPA’s push to increase the players’ minimum wage was the reason the percentage didn’t increase at the rate originally anticipated.

Andre Ponga believed his son was entitled to an 18.23 per cent increase per year as part of the ratchet clause in Kalyn’s Knights deal, however the NRL and Knights have since reiterated that he is only entitled to a 15.55 per cent increase in years 2024 to 2027.

Cannavo, 54, has an unofficial, voluntary role at the Knights but is said to have become a highly influential figure at the club.

His relationship with Gardner extends to business, with the Newcastle chief on the board of Native Mineral Resources, Cannavo’s ASX-listed copper and gold operation headquartered in Port Macquarie.

Cannavo previously worked for billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group, heading up its Solomon mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.