Kalyn Ponga was \u201cadamant\u201d he would return to the field after suffering a disastrous broken arm in the Kiwis\u2019 World Cup opener.<\/p>\n
The superstar No.1 spent 20 minutes on-field in New Zealand\u2019s 24-22 loss to the Kangaroos with a broken radius in his left arm \u2014 but he had a clear message for his coach post-match.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m playing, I will do everything I can\u201d he said, according to Stacey Jones.<\/p>\n
Watch every ball of Australia vs England T20 & ODI series Live & ad-break free during play on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | Don\u2019t miss the Summer of the Century. Get 50% off Kayo Premium for 4 months. Min cost $23 for 1 month. New & returning customers only. Offer ends 30 Nov 2026. Sign up today.<\/a><\/p>\n WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n And he was right.<\/p>\n It took only 23 days for Ponga to return to the field, delivering a monumental display that proved he was well and truly ready to go as the Kiwis dominated Tonga on Saturday night.<\/a><\/p>\n One effort stole the show, with prop Demetric Vaimaugu breaking through the New Zealand defensive line, with only Ponga to beat metres out from the try line.<\/p>\n The 28-year-old threw himself in harm\u2019s way to make the tackle, showing no regard for his body as he brought the much larger enforcer down in a stunning showing of \u201ccourage\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is courage. He\u2019s done it all season, but that was probably his biggest task so far,\u201d Trent Robinson said, while Andrew Voss added: \u201cAs brave as you\u2019ll ever see. That is incredible\u201d.<\/p>\n When quizzed on how Ponga was able to make such a miraculous return, Jones explained that it came down to an individual\u2019s toughness and the Kiwis\u2019 medical team.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think the sports sciences these days, I saw what he had in his arm. The rod or the plate, it was covering nearly his whole arm,\u201d Jones said in his post-match press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cJahrome Hughes had the similar injury a couple of years ago and he came back from it, so I think now where it\u2019s at people can just recover from it.<\/p>\n Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\n Kalyn gets HAMMERED by Foketi | 00:19<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it\u2019s also the individual, he\u2019s a tough character.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the Australia game he was so adamant he was playing, he was \u2018no, I\u2019m playing, I\u2019m playing, I will do everything I can\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you don\u2019t know. We didn\u2019t know until after our second-to-last training he was going to be right and he ticked all the boxes. Just a tough, tough person.\u201d<\/p>\n Ponga finished the night with 136 running metres, four line break assists and a hattrick of try assists in a fullback\u2019s masterclass.<\/p>\n New Zealand skipper James Fisher-Harris echoed his coach\u2019s opinion, highlighting his the \u201cmindset\u201d that makes the Knights gun so important to any team he plays for.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously a freak of a player, you just have to see the defensive mindset he had, saved a couple of tries there. That\u2019s what I love about KP,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n FREE AGENCY LIVE: Classy Cleary act as shock contract clauses revealed<\/a><\/p>\n WC TALKING POINTS: Theory on Latrell snub; \u2018nuts\u2019 scenes to spark NRL\u2019s US move<\/a><\/p>\n