If you picked the best 10 players in the NRL right now purely on form this season, it would be a brave man to leave Kalyn Ponga out of the conversation.
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Plenty would have him in their top five. Most Knights fans would have him at number one with a bullet.
He’s one of the Dally M Medal favourites. He blew everyone away with his debut performance in Origin ll coming off the bench, playing a middle forward’s role in defence. And now we hear, even the All Blacks want a piece of him.
So where does that leave Ponga with a Kangaroos’ Test side taking on the Kiwis in early October?
The early mail is Ponga won’t make the squad, even though he would no doubt terrorise a big, tiring Kiwi forward pack if he was to come off the bench in a utility role.
Instead, he may have to settle for a trip to Papua New Guinea with the Prime Minister’s X111, a side which could also include Knights halfback Mitchell Pearce.
Kiwi raid
The Knights have gone across the ditch to replace outgoing Head of High Performance Tony Ayoub.
The club has signed Balin Cupples, the Warriors current Head of Athletic Performance, as Ayoub’s replacement.
Tale of two halves
Just who will replace young Knights halves Brock Lamb and Jack Cogger next season with Lamb joining the Roosters and Cogger off to the Bulldogs.
The Knights looked at Titans playmaker Kane Elgey but weren’t prepared to offer the two years he received at Manly so they are now apparently turning their attention to Bulldog Matt Frawley, Broncos youngster Troy Dargan and the Warriors’ Mason Lino.
Broncos captain Darius Boyd has given Dargan a big rap while we are guessing coach Nathan Brown would have taken a real good look at Lino in action last night against Penrith.
Room for biggies
We are hearing the Knights still have room under the salary cap for three marquee stars for next season and they don’t want to have to compromise on quality by frittering away money on lesser NRL players who may or may not make a real difference.
It’s why the club is yet to offer Souths centre Hymel Hunt a deal and knocked back the opportunity to negotiate with the likes of Roosters utility Ryan Matterson and Brisbane duo Alex Glenn and Jordan Kahu, players who have all been offered to the club.
Old Boys day out
He may be closing in on becoming a dad for a third time but it is hoped that won’t stop club legend Andrew Johns from attending Knights’ Old Boys Day next Saturday.
The club’s eight Hall of Famers – Johns, Paul Harragon, Michael Hagan, Matthew Gidley, Allan McMahon, Danny Buderus, Tony Butterfield and Mark Sargent - will be honoured before the Knights’ final game of the season against St George Illawarra with a big roll up of Old Boys expected.
Glenice McMahon will be there, representing her late husband Allan while Johns’ attendance will hinge on how his partner Kate Kendall is faring with their baby due in the next couple of weeks.
Scorpions strike
After going from the penthouse to the cellar in the space of a season, there was always going to be some personnel changes at the Macquarie Scorpions for next season in the Real NRL.
We can tell you the club has signed former premiership-winning South Newcastle hooker Liam Higgins, who ironically helped break Scorpions hearts with a man-of-the-match performance in the Lions' 2016 grandfinal win over Macquarie.
Current Souths forward Ben Roose has also joined Macquarie for next season and they are in negotiations with several other players.
Hooker returns
Tyler Randell is on the radar of at least a couple of Real NRL clubs with the former Knights hooker said to be bringing his family home from England after two seasons with Wakefield Trinity.
He has already been linked to Wests and Maitland.
Stair climbs to 411 games
Veteran whistle-blower Graham Stair will referee his 411th and last Real NRL first grade game at St John Oval tomorrow when Central take on Cessnock after a career spanning 24 years at the top.
He officiated his first top grade game back in 1994 at the same ground and said the number of games he has controlled overall since he started refereeing would be”well into the 1000’s”.
“I’m still going to put my hand up to do lower grade games when needed but it is time to let the young fellas take over,” Stair 50, said.
Interestingly, despite the extra scrutiny, Stair says the game is easier to referee now than it was a decade or more ago because players are generally more disciplined and show more respect.
Greyhounds coup
From English Super League glamour club Wigan Warriors to the Singleton Greyhounds in less than 12 months via a Sydney Roosters stop-over in between.
That is the remarkable career journey of former Kiwi international and Roosters premiership-winner Frank-Paul Nu'uausala this year.
In a massive coup for the Greyhounds, the Group 21 club has snuck under the guard of a number of Newcastle clubs to land his signature for the next two years.
"We are re-building and Frank-Paul wants to come here with his experience and make a difference,"Singleton coach Jye Bayley said.
"He is coming for the right reasons and it is a massive boost for us."
Costly lesson
One Newcastle Premier League soccer club has learnt the hard way about the perils of advancing players money before they have kicked a ball for the club.
We’re told the club in question is $1000 out of pocket after the player agreed to join them this season before opting out and instead, playing in the Zone Premier League competition without paying the money back.
A costly lesson to learn.
McBreen strikes
Veteran Edgeworth striker Daniel McBreen didn’t miss Northern officials earlier this week with a sarcastic video tweet about the premiership trophy presentation that came a week later than it should have and held up the start of their final round game against Valentine.
