{"id":348383,"date":"2025-12-14T23:05:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T23:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/348383\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T23:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T23:05:10","slug":"concerns-arise-as-ponga-continues-to-sport-moonboot-nrl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/348383\/","title":{"rendered":"Concerns arise as Ponga continues to sport moonboot – NRL News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Newcastle Knights<\/a> are hopeful they can improve off the back of their wooden spoon in 2025, but will be unable to do so without their captain Kalyn Ponga<\/a> fit and firing.<\/p>\n

While Knights fans are concerned that Ponga is still wearing a protective moon boot almost six months after suffering a significant foot injury, the star fullback remains adamant he’ll be fit for the club’s historic season-opening clash against the North Queensland Cowboys<\/a> in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Ponga watched on from the sidelines on Saturday as new marquee signing Dylan Brown<\/a> trained with his Knights teammates for the first time.
\"Newcastle<\/p>\n

Coach Justin Holbrook<\/a> will now have to wait until after the Christmas\u2013New Year break before beginning work on what is expected to become one of the NRL’s highest-profile attacking combinations.<\/p>\n

The 2023 Dally M Medal winner ruptured the Lisfranc ligament in his left foot in July, requiring surgery.<\/p>\n

Speaking after Newcastle’s open training session, Ponga said recovery was progressing despite the lingering moon boot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s going good,\u201d he told the Sydney Morning Herald.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks worse than what it is. It’s just locking me down for now, but I’ll be right for Vegas in round one, which is the main thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old hopes to ditch the boot within weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully two more weeks, three more weeks, and I’ll be back on my feet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n


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