CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
The NRL is in a panic today, after a bloke who’s been struggling with injuries decided that he’s not going to waste his time drinking piss and catching light aircrafts this off-season.
This has outraged both the game’s bosses and the broadcast partners, who are trying to squeeze as many matches out of their footballers as they can, in an effort to ram more gambling ads in front of TV audiences after the October Grand Final.
But following several seasons marred by injuries and malicious targeting from his opponents, Queensland Origin star and Newcastle Knights captain Kalyn Ponga has said you know what I’m probably not going to fuck around with some meaningless international matches in the off-season.
The decision was said to have shocked Australia coach Mal Meninga, who had picked Ponga as fullback in his preliminary Kangaroos squad to play random Pacific teams that have nothing to gain but the chance to injure him further.
However, it seems the 26-year-old is remaining firm on ruling himself ineligible for international selection. His reasoning is that he wants to focus on being in the best shape for Newcastle next season.
It’s especially troubling news for the NRL and their partners, especially with the looming threat of a government ban on gambling ads.
ARL chairman Peter V’landys told an equally terrified News Corp that there would be an investigation into potential ramifications. Like, maybe other star footballers deciding to join Ponga in deciding to sit out these relentless exhibition matches and lame international tests.
Although it’s not the gruelling NRL calendar that’s making headlines this week.
Ponga’s very reasonable decision has been met with immediate backlash from the mouth-breathing sports pundits, who are quick to talk about AUSSIE PRIDE – rather than the very real risks that Ponga is trying to avoid by running his body into the ground by playing 5 more matches than he needs to.
The fact that he has a Maori last name has also given the meathead shock jocks the mildly racist narrative that he might be BETRAYING Australia for New Zealand. When in reality, it’s more a matter of him betraying Rupert Murdoch for the glorious Steel City of NEWCASTLE.
