NRL legend slams Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga’s leadership after pub toilet scandal, says Newcastle skipper needs to ‘grow up’
- Aaron Woods wants Kalyn Ponga to be held accountable
- He believes the Knights Pivot need to “grow up” off the court
- It follows last season’s pub toilet scandal at the Delany Hotel
- Ponga told reporters he was “sick” with food poisoning
NRL journeyman Aaron Woods has called on Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga to “grow up” and show better leadership following his pub toilet scandal with teammate Kurt Mann last season.
Newcastle co-captain Ponga, 24, appeared in front of the media this week to finally address the incident – and it left more questions than answers.
Ponga told a group of reporters that he had food poisoning at the Delany Hotel on the night in question last August – and Mann was just helping him when he was “sick”.
That won’t wash with many footy fans – and Woods said now is the time for Ponga to answer for his actions.
“Look, I love him as a player,” Woods, 31, said on the podcast Footy Talk.
NRL wizard Aaron Woods has called on Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga to “grow up” and show better leadership
It follows Ponga, 24, last August was caught emerging from a toilet cubicle in a Newcastle pub with team-mate Kurt Mann
“He should have talked about it. He’s club captain, you can’t hide, he’s got to hit it (event) on the head.
“He went to the restrooms with Kurt Mann. They did what they did.
“I know he’s got that swagger, he’s a nice cruising guy…but when you’re club captain, you’ve got sponsors and everything to look after, you just have to get those little things going.’
Days after the incident, it emerged that Ponga and Mann had been drug tested by the NRL.
Those results remain confidential – but both players were later cleared by the NRL’s Integrity Unit of any wrongdoing.
Ponga was also widely criticized for drinking while recovering from a concussion.
Six months after the incident, the man told reporters he had food poisoning at the Delany Hotel – and Mann was helping him when he was “sick”.
He signed a massive five-year contract worth more than $5 million last April, but only managed to play 14 games in 2022 before his campaign was cut short by a horrific series of head injuries.
The Queensland Origin star has been named at five-eighth ahead of Friday night’s trial against the Eels in Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast.
His personal duel with Parramatta pivot Dylan Brown has fans from both teams.
Newcastle will face the NZ Warriors in the NRL season opener in Wellington on March 3.