Kiwis rocked as Ponga forced to have surgery on broken arm
New Zealand has been dealt a bitter Rugby League World Cup blow with superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga sent for surgery on a broken arm.
Ponga was arguably the best player on the field before leaving the game midway through the second half, allowing Australia to run over the top of the Kiwis to secure a thrilling victory.
Kalyn Ponga scores a try before leaving the field. AP Photo/Mark Baker
He played on despite breaking his arm earlier in the game, but the team on Friday confirmed he will have to have surgery on a broken radius, almost certainly ending his World Cup.
Team doctor Greg MacLeod said Ponga “will remain in camp” and New Zealand will be hopeful he might be fit for the tournament final, if they make it.
Australia also suffered a huge blow in the World Cup opener when Mitchell Moses limped off with a leg injury, but the hosts fought back from a second-half deficit without their halfback in a dramatic 24-22 clash with New Zealand.
The night without a shadow of a doubt belonged to fullbacks Ponga and Reece Walsh, who stole the show in a heavyweight clash for the ages, while Jack Bostock produced a Kangaroos debut for the ages with three tries.
Moses was hampered from the 20-minute mark onwards, but managed to stay on until the break and even ran out to start the second half.
But just a minute later, the 32-year-old was limping back towards the sidelines and was replaced by Tom Dearden, who fortunately was the bench utility and a ready-made replacement in the playmaking role alongside Cameron Munster.
Moses will now go for scans, with fears regarding a potential hairline fracture in his lower-leg, despite initial concerns about a calf injury.
An emotional Walsh was in tears during the national anthems and the feeling inside a sold-out Allianz Stadium reached fever pitch during the haka, before the raucous Kiwis fans got an early moment to cheer about.
Casey McLean, who has rapidly become one of the game’s elite centres at a very young age, dived over in the corner and scored a freakish World Cup try.
Bostock hit back when he reeled in a Ponga pass and ran 90 metres to score an intercept try, before another intercept – this time from Tom Trbojevic, who snatched a McLean pass out of thin air – put the Aussies ahead.
Kotoni Staggs had a chance to extend the green and gold’s lead further, but failed to plant down a Munster kick cleanly in a tough in-goal tussle.
Jack Bostock celebrates a try. Getty Images
Moments later, Staggs was being sent to the sin bin for a professional foul after he impeded Kodi Nikorima’s run to the ball and denied the Kiwis a try.
New Zealand capitalised on the advantage after the break, when Ponga backed up in support as Isaiah Papali’i found an offload close to the line.
Bostock bagged his second try of the night with an impressive bit of aerial skill, before Ponga broke the game open – literally and figuratively – with an insane solo try that saw him leave Walsh in the dust with a trademark left-foot step.
Ponga was then spotted clutching at his arm and was in clear pain, which worked to Walsh’s advantage moments later in a moment of individual brilliance.
Not to be outdone by his opposite No.1 on the big stage, Walsh sparked his side back to life with a long-range individual try, which saw Ponga and Jahrome Hughes collide and allow the Aussie speedster to run away freely.
Walsh was then spotted vomiting on the turf at Moore Park, clearly struggling after his moment of brilliance, with Latrell Mitchell filling in to take the sideline conversion and narrowly missing it, which kept the Kiwis in front.
As one fullback was left literally spewing, Ponga was figuratively spewing as he was forced from the field with an arm injury, ending his stellar debut.
Reece Walsh walks away from the conversion after vomiting. Getty Images
Word quickly filtered through that Pong had suffered a suspected broken forearm, which was confirmed on Friday.
Kiwis captain James Fisher-Harris labelled the fullback as a “tough bugger” for his effort to spark his country to life, despite carrying a potentially serious injury.
Keano Kini will now slot in at fullback, just as he did for the dying stages of the narrow loss to the Kangaroos.
With the game in the balance, Bostock completed his hat-trick with another leaping effort, grabbing the ball out of Jamayne Isaako’s hands in mid-air to put the Aussies in front with just four minutes left on the clock.
The towering, high-flying Dolphins star was awarded player of the match honours and with his contract a huge talking point heading into the November 1 free agency period, Bostock’s price tag will likely only increase.
Speaking during the post-game ceremony, Bostock described it as a “dream come true” to play for the Kangaroos and announce himself as a superstar.
“I can’t put it into words,” the 23-year-old said. “It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of, putting on this green and gold jersey and score a few tries ... it’s obviously a dream come true.”
