Kalyn Ponga has reaffirmed his commitment to the Newcastle Knights amid the constant speculation about his future.
The star fullback shut down about reports linking him with a switch to the halves as his future comes into focus at the end of the year when he comes off contract.
The Maroons No.1 has been the subject of reports linking him to a potential switch of codes or to Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins.
READ MORE: Ben Simmons opens up on ‘dark times’ after messy 76ers exit
READ MORE: Russian Olympian’s tears in return to competition after doping controversy
READ MORE: F1 star hired bodyguards after Abu Dhabi fiasco
However, Ponga is adamant he will stay in Newcastle and is committed to playing for the Knights despite rejecting talk about his contract situation.
“I’m locked in. I’m dedicated to winning a comp here,” Ponga told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“It’s all I want to do, it’s really all I think about. I don’t know why, there’s always speculation I’m going elsewhere. But I’m really enjoying this group of men, being here at the Knights, so I’m excited.
“I guess I just worry about what I can control. For me, that’s being here at the club and being my best. I’ve never thought about those sort of things.
“I haven’t even thought about my contract.
“It’s something I’ve never worried about, never thought about. I’ve always just let my footy be my priority in the sense I put my energy into that and everything else takes care of itself.”
After Mitchell Pearce’s exit, Ponga has been earmarked as the club’s next captain, and a possible switch to the halves has again been mooted. The representative player said he had aspirations of being a better fullback before moving positions, while lauding the impact of Andrew Johns’ since the Newcastle legend’s arrival at the club.
“There’s always discussion about it,” Ponga said of his positional change.
“At the end of the day, it was always my decision. Adsey [Adam O’Brien] has been very supportive of that, he said where I play is up to me.
“For some reason, everyone’s long-term goal is to make me a seven or six, but I’m not the best one I can be yet.
“I want to nail my craft at the back, I want to be the best one and I’ve still got a long way to go in the position.
“It’s a position I enjoy as well. I started playing my footy at the back and still comfortable there.”
Johns’ impact has been telling on how the team’s attack has flourished over the off-season, says Ponga.
“He’s been very detailed and passionate about his work,” Ponga said.
“It’s good to see him in Knights colours again. I’ve been with the club for four years and you always hear that Joey Johns is coaching this team or that team.
“To have him here at the Knights has been awesome. He’s been hands-on and very thorough and very passionate.
“He’s had a lot to do with our attack, detail-wise and structure-wise, which has been good.
“Looking back on last season, it’s an area where we struggled. With his help, and the whole coaching staff working together, it’s been good to implement over the preseason.”
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!