In 2011, at the age of 13, Ponga and his family returned to Queensland, settling in Mackay. He attended Mackay State High School and was a member of the Rugby League Academy program, as well as playing junior rugby league for Souths Mackay. Also in 2011, he was signed to a scholarship with the Central Queensland NRL bid side. In 2012, he was selected for the Australian Schoolboys under-15 side, becoming just the second 14-year-old to make the side.[5]
In December 2013, then 15-year-old Ponga signed a four-year contract with the North Queensland Cowboys.[10] He was pursued by six professional clubs from across three different sports, turning down the Broncos, Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters, Queensland Reds and Brisbane Lions to sign with the Townsville-based NRL club.[5][11] The Lions continued to pursue Ponga after he committed to the Cowboys[12] and it was later revealed he was one month away from sensationally converting to Australian rules football and signing a four-year contract with the Lions in the latter half of 2016.[13][14]
Playing career
Early career
Ponga played for the North Queensland CowboysHolden Cup team from 2015 to 2017, playing 44 games, scoring 32 tries and kicking 42 goals for 212 points in his U20s career.[15]
2015
Ponga moved to Townsville where he attended Ignatius Park College, played for the Townsville Stingers in the Mal Meninga Cup. Later on the year Ponga represented Australia in the under 18s touch football at the 2015 Youth Trans Tasman series.[16] In January, he was a member of the QAS Emerging under-18 Origin squad.[17] In August, he made his NYC debut for the Cowboys, coming off the bench in his side's 50-6 victory over the Parramatta Eels in Round 20. It was later revealed that he had missed five months of the season fighting a life-threatening brain infection.[18] He finished the year as the Cowboys' starting fullback, scoring 8 tries in 8 games. In October, he was invited to train with the New Zealand national team in preparation for their tour of Great Britain. In November, he joined the Cowboys' 2016 first grade squad for pre-season training.[19]
2016
In January, Ponga was selected in the QAS under-20s Origin squad.[20] In February, he played in the Cowboys' first-grade side's trial game against the Broncos, scoring a try. In May, Ponga was selected for the Junior Kangaroos and Junior Kiwis but opted not to play.[3][21] He spent the majority of the season playing for the Cowboys' NYC and was named at fullback in the NYC Team of the Year.[22]
On 16 September, Ponga made his NRL debut on the wing against the Brisbane Broncos in the finals, replacing the injured Antonio Winterstein. Ponga was short from scoring his first NRL try in the 16th minute of the game making a break on the wing getting taken down by Broncos Lock Corey Parker.[23] Since 1987, he is just the sixth player to make his first-grade debut in a finals match.[24] He was contracted to the Cowboys until the end of 2017.[25]
In November, it was reported that Ponga had signed a contract with the Newcastle Knights starting in 2018. On 17 November, when North Queensland returned to pre-season training, head coach Paul Green confirmed the reports and his disappointment saying the contract was in the cooling off period.[26] The deal was officially announced on 28 November as a four-year contract starting in 2018. It was reported that the deal will make him the highest paid teenager in the history of the NRL.[27]
2017
Ponga was named in the Cowboys' squad for the 2017 NRL Auckland Nines tournament in February. At the event, he led the Cowboys to a quarterfinals berth before being eliminated by the Storm. He scored five tries and was named in the team of the tournament alongside teammate Gideon Gela-Mosby.[28] Ponga played his first NRL game at fullback for the Cowboys in Round 3. During the game, he recorded two line break assists, seven tackle breaks and 113 running metres in their 8-30 loss to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.[29] He scored his maiden NRL try in the Cowboys' Round 4 victory over the Gold Coast Titans.[30] He was named man of the match in the Cowboys round 8 victory against the Newcastle Knights after scoring two tries.[31]
Ponga mid-air for the North Queensland Cowboys in 2017
Ponga returned to the North Queensland first-grade lineup in their round 24 clash against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. During the match, he suffered a shoulder injury. He returned two weeks later in the NYC finals elimination loss to Manly. In September, he was named at fullback in the NYC Team of the Year for the second year in a row,[32] before being announced as one of five finalists for the RLPA Rookie of the Year award.
2018
Ponga was eligible to represent Australia and New Zealand in test football, but confirmed his allegiance to Queensland, and therefore Australia, in January 2018.[33] In round 1 of the 2018 season, he made his debut for the Knights in their 19-18 golden point extra-time win over the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, scoring a try and kicking three goals.[34]
In June, Ponga made his State of Origin debut for Queensland in Game II of the 2018 State of Origin series.[35] He came onto the field from the interchange bench in the 28th minute, playing out of position in the middle of the field. He played 52 minutes, made 29 tackles and made a line break late in the game, coming close to scoring an equalizing try, only to be pulled down by New South Wales fullback James Tedesco before the line in Queensland's 18-14 loss. Former Knights and Australian test halfbackAndrew Johns called it 'the best debut in Origin history.'[36][37][38]
2019
Ponga was moved to five-eighth to start the 2019 season, however he returned to fullback in round 4.[39]
Ponga attracted controversy late in the season with his response to the media after coach Nathan Brown departed the club, saying "I was at lunch having a nice strawberry thickshake, so I wasn't too sad."[40]
On 7 October 2019, Ponga was named in the Australian side for the 2019 Rugby League World Cup 9s. Later that day, Ponga was named in the U23 Junior Australian side.[citation needed]
2020
In June, Ponga extended his contract with Newcastle until the end of 2024,[41] however the last two years of the deal were options in Ponga's favour.[42]
In round 16 against North Queensland, Ponga put in a man of the match performance and scored two tries in Newcastle's 38-0 victory.[44]
In Game three of the 2021 State of Origin series, Ponga returned to the Queensland Origin side after missing out on the last 6 matches due to injury. He played a part in Queensland's 20-18 win to prevent a New South Wales white wash for the series.[45]
Ponga testing the Parramatta Eels defensive line in 2021Ponga on defensive duties against Parramatta in 2021
2022
Ponga had until June 2022 to activate the options in his contract for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In April, he signed a new contract for five years, until the end of 2027, that would replace the existing deal moving into 2023.[46]
On 13 July, Ponga put in a man-of-the-match performance in Game 3, the decider of the 2022 State of Origin series, in a Queensland side missing regular five-eighth Cameron Munster. Ponga collected 299 running metres, 90 of which were kick returns and 75 in post-contact, along with 3 line breaks, 18 tackle breaks and the try that claimed the lead which Queensland would not lose for the remainder of the game.[47]
In July, Ponga was ruled out for the remainder of the 2022 NRL season after suffering with concussion. On 15 August, it was revealed that Ponga and teammate Kurt Mann had been ejected from a pub after being found intoxicated in a toilet cubicle by security staff. Ponga and Mann were later drug tested by the NRL under the organisation's drug policy.[48][49]
2023
In round 2 of the 2023 NRL season, Ponga was taken from the field with a head concussion after just 90 seconds in Newcastle's 14-12 victory over the Wests Tigers. It was Ponga's fourth concussion in ten months.[50] Ponga subsequently travelled to Canada to undergo advanced neurological testing to determine if he would have to retire, but tests showed no signs of brain damage.[51] After a brief absence, he returned in round 8. Despite a slow start, Ponga regained form as the Knights went on to win 9 straight games heading in to the finals, raising them from 14th to 5th on the ladder. Ponga was the Knights fourth highest try scorer, scoring 9 tries from 20 games.[52] The team would defeat the Canberra Raiders in the first week of finals but lost to the New Zealand Warriors the following week, eliminating them from the competition.
Ponga won the 2023 Dally M medal, labeling him as player of the year.[53]
2024
In the week following a narrow 24-22 loss to the Sydney Roosters in round 6, it was reported that Ponga was suffering from a hip injury. Ponga was named in the squad to play the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in round 7 despite carrying a noticeable limp during the warmup. Ponga played through the first half with the limp, however at half time spoke to a trainer regarding a foot injury he had picked up during the half. Ponga played the beginning of the second half before withdrawing, and the side would lose to the bulldogs 36-12. On 22 April, it was announced that Ponga would be ruled out for an indefinite period as a result of the foot injury.[54]
Ponga played 16 games for Newcastle in the 2024 NRL season as the club finished 8th and qualified for the finals. He played in their elimination finals loss against North Queensland.[55]
Guru Seman Mulia Al Allimul Al-Allamah Asy-Syekh Muhammad Semman bin Haji Mulia (atau Guru Semman Mulia) adalah seorang ulama besar dari Martapura, Kalimantan Selatan, Indonesia. Masyarakat Martapura akrab memanggilnya dengan Guru Seman atau Guru Padang. Ia mendalami Islam dari salah seorang gurunya yang juga adalah ulama besar Kalimantan saat itu, yakni Guru Kasyful Anwar. Dengan Guru Sekumpul Syaikh Seman adalah paman sekaligus guru dari ulama kharismatik Martapura Guru Sekumpul, KH. Muhamm...
Вежа Джеймса Джойса англ. James Joyce Tower and Museum 53°17′19″ пн. ш. 6°06′49″ зх. д. / 53.28870000002777374° пн. ш. 6.11376111002777822° зх. д. / 53.28870000002777374; -6.11376111002777822Координати: 53°17′19″ пн. ш. 6°06′49″ зх. д. / 53.28870000002777374° пн. ш. 6.11376111002777822° зх. д....
عبيرو والأصح خبيرو (ha-bi-ru) بالأكادية وبالسومرية (Lu- SA.[1][2] GAZ) اسم لمجموعات بشرية ورد في العديد من كتابات الهلال الخصيب، والأناضول ووادي النيل حيث تعود أقدم الشواهد لزمن سلالة أور الثالثة في الألف الثالث ق.م وأيضاً في كتابات ماري من القرن الثامن عشر ق.م وألالاخ وأوغاري...
Theological position on God's knowledge Not to be confused with the quietist doctrine of Miguel de Molinos. Luis de Molina, the namesake of Molinism Part of a series onCatholic philosophy Aquinas, Scotus, and Ockham Ethics Cardinal virtues Just price Just war Principle of Double Effect Probabilism Natural law Personalism Social teaching Liberation Theology Christian Humanism Virtue ethics Metaphysics Conceptualism Realism Moderate realism Nominalism Quiddity (essence / nature) Haec...
KertayasaDesaKertayasaPeta lokasi Desa KertayasaNegara IndonesiaProvinsiJawa TengahKabupatenBanjarnegaraKecamatanMandirajaKode pos53473Kode Kemendagri33.04.03.2012 Luas343,43 hektarJumlah penduduk5.686 jiwa (2018)Kepadatan1.655 jiwa/km² Kertayasa (Jawa: ꦢꦼꦱ ꦏꦂꦠꦪꦱ, translit. desa kertayasa) Adalah sebuah desa di kecamatan Mandiraja, Banjarnegara, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia.[1][2] Geografi - Batas Desa Utara - Timur - Selatan - Barat - Referensi ^ pera...
Biji pipil jagung Jagung pipil adalah bulir yang diambil dari bonggol tanaman jagung. Jagung adalah biji-bijian, dan bijinya digunakan untuk memasak sebagai sayuran atau sumber pati . Bulirnya terdiri dari endosperm, germ, pericarp, dan tip cap. Satu tongkol jagung berisi kira-kira 800 pipilan dalam 16 baris. Biji jagung sudah tersedia dalam jumlah besar di seluruh area penghasil jagung. Mereka memiliki sejumlah kegunaan, termasuk makanan dan biofuel . Jagung terdiri dari sekam dan sutra, ser...
القاذفات الأمريكية كونسوليداتيد بي-24 ليبراتور قيد الإنشاء خلال الحرب العالمية الثانية. جزء من سلسلة عليالحرب التاريخ ما قبل التاريخ الحروب القديمة ما بعد الكلاسيكية أوائل العصر الحديث أواخر العصر الحديث الصناعية الجيل الرابع ساحة المعركة الجوية الإلكترونية المعلومات ا...
Species of gastropod Ividia armata Apertural view of the shell of Ividia armata Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Heterobranchia Family: Pyramidellidae Genus: Ividia Species: I. armata Binomial name Ividia armataCarpenter, 1856 [1] Synonyms Odostomia armata Carpenter, 1856 Odostomia (Miralda) armata Carpenter, 1856 Parthenia armata Carpenter, 1856 Ividia armata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod m...
Fencing at the Olympics Fencingat the Games of the VII Olympiad← 19121924 → At the 1920 Summer Olympics, six fencing events (all for men) were contested.[1] Medal summary Event Gold Silver Bronze Épée, Individualdetails Armand Massard France Alexandre Lippmann France Gustave Buchard France Épée, Teamdetails Italy (ITA)Aldo NadiNedo NadiAbelardo OlivierGiovanni CanovaDino UrbaniTullio BozzaAndrea MarrazziAntonio AllochioTommaso Consta...
Jean-Pierre BembaJean-Pierre Bemba, 2006Lahir4 November 1962 (umur 61)[1]Bokada, Équateur, Republik Demokratik Kongo[1]Kebangsaan Republik Demokratik KongoNama lainJean-Pierre Bemba Gombo[1]Dikenal atasMantan Wakil Presiden Republik Demokratik Kongo;Didakwa Mahkamah Pidana Internasional untuk kejahatan kemanusiaan[1] Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (lahir 4 November 1962)[1] adalah seorang politisi Republik Demokratik Kongo. Dia adalah salah satu dar...
Illumination media franchise The Secret Life of PetsCreated by Cinco Paul Ken Daurio Brian Lynch Original workThe Secret Life of PetsOwnerUniversal Pictures (via Illumination)Years2016–presentFilms and televisionFilm(s) The Secret Life of Pets (2016) The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) The Secret Life of Pets 3 (TBA) Short film(s) Norman Television (2016) Weenie (2016) Super Gidget (2019) GamesVideo game(s)The Secret Life of Pets: UnleashedMiscellaneousTheme park attraction(s)The Secret Life o...
Not to be confused with Aden Crater. District in Aden Governorate, YemenCrater District مديرية صيرةDistrictSeera DistrictCountry YemenGovernorateAden GovernoratePopulation (2003)[1] • Total76,723Time zoneUTC+3 (Yemen Standard Time) Crater (/ˈkreɪtər/; Arabic: كريتر, [ˈkɾeːtəɾ]), also Kraytar, is a district of the Aden Governorate, Yemen. Its official name is Seera (Arabic: صيرة Ṣīrah). It is situated in a crater of an ancient...
1797 treaty between the United States and Seneca The Treaty of Big Tree was a formal treaty signed in 1797 between the Seneca Nation and the United States, in which the Seneca relinquished their rights to nearly all of their traditional homeland in New York State—nearly 3.5 million acres.[1] In the 1788 Phelps and Gorham Purchase, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) had previously sold rights to their land between Seneca Lake and the Genesee River. The Treaty of Big Tree signed away their ...
51-ша панцергренадерська бригада СС 51. SS-Panzergrenadier-BrigadeНа службі 1944Країна Третій РейхНалежність Адольф ГітлерВид Ваффен-ССТип ПанцергренадериЧисельність БригадаВійни/битви Друга світова війна Західний фронт 51-ша панцергренадерська бригада СС (нім. 51. SS-Panzergrenadier-Brigade) —...
المركز الوطني للجلود والأحذيةالمركز الوطني للجلود والأحذيةالشعارمعلومات عامةالجنسية تونس[1] التأسيس 1969النوع مركز فني تونسيالمقر الرئيسي مقرين ( تونس)موقع الويب cnccleather.nat.tn (الفرنسية) تعديل - تعديل مصدري - تعديل ويكي بيانات المركز الوطني للجلود والأحذية هو مركز فني ت...
Synchrotron radiation facility at Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland Particle accelerator Swiss Light SourceSwiss Light Source in May 2016General propertiesAccelerator typeSynchrotron light sourceBeam typeElectronsTarget typeLight sourceBeam propertiesMaximum energy2.7 GeVMaximum current400 mAPhysical propertiesCircumference288 metres (945 ft)LocationVilligen, SwitzerlandInstitutionPaul Scherrer InstituteDates of operation2000 - present Panoramic view of the inside of the Swiss Light...
2018 Centrobasket Women21st Central American and Caribbean Basketball Championship for WomenTournament detailsHost nation Puerto RicoDates20–24 AugustTeams7Venues1 (in 1 host city)Champions Puerto Rico (2nd title)MVP Jennifer O'NeillTournament leaders PlayersTeamsPoints O'Neill (19.0) Puerto Rico (86.8)Rebounds Matamoros (11.0) Dominican Republic (48.5)Assists Martínez (5.3) Puerto Rico (21.2) Official websiteOfficial website< 2017 2021...
Japanese condiment made from fermented bamboo shoots This article is about the condiment. For the fictional character, see Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai § Characters. Menma on some ramen. Hosaki-Menma, an ear of Menma bamboo. Menma (メンマ, 麺麻, 麺碼) is a Japanese condiment made from lacto-fermented bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoots are dried in the sun or through other means before the process of fermentation. Menma is a common topping for noodle soups,...
Railway station in Sunagawa, Hokkaido, Japan Toyonuma train Station Toyonuma Station (豊沼駅, Toyonuma-eki) is a railway station in Sunagawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. Lines Hokkaido Railway Company Hakodate Main Line Station A19 Adjacent stations « Service » Hakodate Main Line Limited Express Sōya: Does not stop at this station Limited Express Okhotsk: Does not stop at this station Naie Sectional Rapid Sunagawa Naie Local Sunagawa vteStations of the Hakodate...
