'There were signs': Andrew Johns throws support behind Kalyn Ponga as Kiwis switch locked in

Phil Gould and Andrew Johns have backed the decision from Kalyn Ponga to switch his allegiance and represent New Zealand in this year's Rugby League World Cup.

It was confirmed this week that Ponga had written to the governing body about his desire to represent the Kiwis - a request which has since been approved.

It comes after a recent rule change that allows players who qualify for State of Origin to also represent tier-one nations other than Australia.

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The superstar fullback has already represented Queensland on 10 occasions but until the eligibility rules were changed this year, he was out of contention for the Kiwis unless he wanted to give up his Origin ambitions.

Speaking on Wide World of Sports' Immortal Behaviour, one of Ponga's biggest fans in Johns said it was the right call and "applauded" the NRL for changing its stance.

"Good on him for making the decision," Johns said.

"I like the new rules. With the diversity now in the game there's players playing for so many countries, but are born in Australia or were here before they went to high school.

"I applaud the NRL for making this decision, especially with the influx of Polynesian boys and girls playing the game - it's over 50 per cent and only gonna increase.

"I think it's great for New Zealand, it's great for Kalyn and he gets to pull on that jersey.

"There were signs a couple of years ago when he didn't play for Australia … I'm glad it's all sorted. He sees himself as a Kiwi and he can play for the Kiwis now." 

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Ponga has never played for the Kangaroos at Test level, however did feature in the green and gold jersey during a Nines tournament in 2019.

There had been rumblings of an allegiance switch dating back a few years relating to Ponga - before the rules were changed - but the timing has worked out now for the Newcastle captain leading into a World Cup campaign.

Gould believes that while Ponga and other current players can "take advantage" in the present, the rule change will have a greater benefit long-term.

"That's great, it helps our international football," he said on Six Tackles With Gus.

"The change in that rule and qualification is not so much about today's players; it's about the young players and their futures and what international football looks like over the next decade, which I think is the growth of the game.

"Right at the moment, there might be a few players able to take advantage of that to play Origin and play international football.

"I think it's good for the game with a World Cup coming up, and with Kalyn Ponga, New Zealand are going to be very hard to beat.

"I still see Australia as favourites, but gee whiz, New Zealand will be extremely hard to beat and even more so if Kalyn is going to play.

"Our game has evolved and I don't think young players should have to make that distinction. It's better for the game if our best players are able to play for their country."

Gould had been an advocate for 'open-slather' Origin rules dating back to last April and the decision from the NRL could open the door for some high-profile names this year.

Sharks forwards Addin Fonua-Blake and Briton Nikora will both become available for the game's landmark event, having previously been excluded from playing for NSW or Queensland respectively, while Victor Radley is also back in the mix after opting to pledge his allegiance to England and take himself out of Blues contention.

Ponga was born in Western Australia before moving to Queensland at a young age, making him eligible for the Maroons.