Kalyn Ponga makes staggering pre-season call about Reece Walsh and the Broncos

Yahoo

13-02-2025

Kalyn Ponga has backed rival Reece Walsh and his Broncos teammates to return to form in 2025 as he buys into the Michael Maguire hype train. Ponga is set to line-up for for the Maori All-Stars this Saturday only a few days after Walsh admitted he is weighing-up over whether to play in next year's edition.
Ponga will be in a running battle with Walsh this year for the Maroons fullback role with Queensland going down to NSW 2-1. Ponga finished the NRL season in much better form than Walsh, but a shake-up to the Broncos hierarchy could help rejuvenate the 22-year-old superstar.
The Broncos parted ways with Kevin Walters after missing out on the top eight and hired Michael Maguire for his hardline approach. Despite some backlash to Maguire's rigorous pre-season camp, the coach has been praised for whipping a number of players into shape.
One of those players thriving under Maguire is Walsh. While there was speculation Walsh's condition wasn't up to scratch when he returned to pre-season, this has been shut down after confirmation the fullback is ready to go in 2025.
And news of Maguire's training regime has made it's way around the NRL community with Ponga buying into the hype. The fullback was asked on SEN Radio on who he thinks will be the team to watch out for in 2025.
Most players have selected the reigning champions Penrith to make it four in a row, or the Melbourne Storm who could even improve on last year's efforts with new recruits. But Ponga admitted the hype appears real around Walsh and his teammates under new management.
"My team would be the Broncos. Why? I mean they have a handy roster. They are coming off a pretty disappointing year. And everyone has heard about how hard they are working, so maybe a redemption story brewing," Ponga said on Thursday.
Ponga and his own Newcastle Knights teammates started pre-season on 21 November and have been undergoing their own brutal sessions. The Knights take on the Eels this Friday in their first trial match, but Ponga will be missing.
He will line-up at fullback for the Maori against the Indigenous All-Stars in his first appearance in the exhibition for a number of years. And speaking to Greg Alexander and Andrew Voss, Ponga said his Knights and Maori teammates were all ready for the NRL season to get underway after months of waiting.
"A lot of these boys are cherry ripe, bit over pre-season. We we are keen to get into it. We can't wait. For a lot of us this is our first run, but we are more than read," he added.
Knights star Fletcher Sharpe is shifting from the wing to five-eighth in the first trial game this Friday in a hint for things to come this year. And without naming who will start in the halves for their first game against the Wests Tigers, Ponga showered Sharpe with praise over a potential switch.
"I definitely think he has got the work ethic and IQ. He is a natural footy player...you probably thing what a winger is doing playing No.6...he is someone you need around the footy, he makes things happen. He is jut a natural footy player"
At the end of 2024, there were reports suggesting Walsh had not returned to Broncos pre-season in top shape. This prompted Haas to defend the fullback and claimed everyone was buying into Maguire's high-standards.
And this report was quickly put to be when, reporter Joel Gould dismissed concerns around Walsh and claimed the fullback was looking ready to go ahead of the 2025 season. "I was actually at a press conference when someone asked about that...I have watched Reece Walsh train at the Broncos - week-in and week-out - and I don't see any difference. He may have come back not as quick and not as good as some of the other players," Gould said.
"I don't see anything other than Walsh putting everything into it...it looks good and Walsh doesn't look off the pace. If he was, he has fixed it."