Adam O’Brien Slams Schedule as Key Factor Behind ‘Disappointing’ Kalyn Ponga Decision

Knights coach Adam O’Brien has pointed to the scheduling as a key reason for his choice to prevent Kalyn Ponga from playing following the State of Origin, following his team’s 20-6 defeat to the Dragons.

Although Ponga was named to back up just 48 hours after the Origin series opener, O’Brien opted to withdraw the star fullback mere hours before kickoff, allowing time for an ankle injury sustained during game one to heal.

In contrast, Ponga’s Maroons teammate Valentine Holmes played for the Dragons and successfully converted four out of four attempts at goal.

O’Brien acknowledged that Ponga had made every effort to be ready for the match, expressing that he felt “a bit angry” about the decision to hold him back.

“I made the choice for him, believing it was in his best interest,” he explained to reporters.

“I understand that Val (Holmes) backed up, but he’s a centre. Kalyn had a challenging week and a half trying to get his ankle right for Origin.

“It’s the sort of injury that requires a few days to settle, so two days simply isn’t sufficient.

“He’s feeling disappointed and a bit angry towards me, but at the end of the day, we need to protect our players.”

The Knights’ performance was a far cry from their recent triumph over the Panthers in Bathurst.

O’Brien noted that the concern wasn’t merely about the encounter with the Dragons but also the upcoming match against Manly, set for Thursday night.

He expressed that the schedule should ideally have allocated the Knights a game on the following Saturday or Sunday.

“In the Ponga situation, we were done in by the scheduling and the fixture,” he remarked.

“Someone has to play on Friday, and that’s understandable. But then they hit us with a Thursday match too? We would have had to play three games in the space of eight days. That’s not prioritising player welfare, so I felt it was necessary to intervene and protect him.

Catch the 2025 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.

“It would have made sense if someone said, ‘Let’s schedule them for a Saturday or Sunday next week’. The individuals organising the draw either haven’t experienced this or simply don’t care, and I’m not sure which it is.

“We’ve got teams like Canberra that haven’t had a bye yet, while other teams have played seven games straight without leaving home. It’s absurd.”

O’Brien did clarify that the draw’s scheduling had no effect on the rest of the team’s display against the Dragons, who rose into the top six following their victory.

The Knights remain in 14th place, yet they are just two wins shy of the top eight.