Kalyn Ponga is not a $1 million per season player, NRL great Wendell Sailor says despite a massive Newcastle Knights offer to the star.
Ponga, the incumbent Queensland State of Origin fullback, has reportedly been offered a $4.5 million deal to stay with the Knights, which would also allow him to chase a Rugby World Cup spot with the All Blacks.
The brilliant youngster is coming off a mixed 2019 season, though he nearly won the Dally M Medal at Newcastle in 2018. The Knights are yet to make the finals with Ponga in their side.
Sailor believes that Ponga can't yet justify top dollar, saying that the biggest contracts should be for "players who consistently aim up".
"That's a lot of money to pay someone. At the moment he's not [worth $4.5 million]," Sailor said on Triple M.
"But I think what you're paying for, you're paying for the Kalyn Ponga brand. The kids [fans] off the field, obviously for the future.
"When you think of $1 million, you're thinking about [Jason] Taumalolo, Cooper Cronk obviously last year, [James] Tedesco, those players who consistently aim up. Cam Smith.
"At the moment I don't think he's worth $1 million [per season], $4.5 million [total]."
Sailor, himself a dual international, also cast doubt on whether Ponga, 21, would every go to rugby union.
"He's thrown that out there, whether it's him or his management. I don't think so, I think he'll stay in league. I don't think he'll go over there," Sailor said.
Despite Ponga's interest in representing the All Blacks, Knights chief executive Philip Gardner has said that he's more concerned about a raid from the Brisbane Broncos.
Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold played down the prospect of his club making a play for the fullback, though he admitted that any club in the NRL would love to have Ponga.
The Knights thrashed a second-string Roosters team 58-0 in a pre-season trial on Saturday, with Ponga impressive at No.1.
It remains to be seen if Ponga's contract negotiations become an unwanted distraction for the Knights this season. NRL great and NSW coach Brad Fittler has already criticised the club for going public with its offer to the star.
from WWOS http://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/kalyn-ponga-newcastle-knights-offer-wendell-sailor/ec596cb5-b203-41c6-aab6-b41f5b32ae81
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