Kiwis receive major boost as Ponga headlines World Cup squad
Updated . First published
Kalyn Ponga would still be reeling from Sunday night’s NRL grand final loss to the Roosters – but the superstar Knights captain will have a chance at redemption as he pulls on the New Zealand jersey for the first time at the World Cup.
Kiwis coach Stacey Jones named his 23-man squad for the tournament on Tuesday afternoon, with Ponga headlining the group ahead of his international debut.
Kalyn Ponga receives some comfort from Johnathan Thurston. Getty Images
The 28-year-old enjoyed an incredible season and finals campaign with Newcastle and nearly led the club to an unlikely premiership triumph.
Ponga won the Dally M Medal three years ago but many of the game’s leading voices believe the 2026 campaign was his best to date.
The fleet-footed fullback has become a well-rounded player and leader, which has coincided with two monumental decisions Ponga made this year.
First, it was his call to switch allegiances and choose to represent the Kiwis, forcing the NRL to overhaul their State of Origin eligibility rules, allowing Ponga to play for both the Maroons and New Zealand on the representative stage.
Then came Ponga’s long-term contract extension with the Knights, giving both the club and himself clarity moving towards the back-half of his career.
Ponga then won the battle with Reece Walsh to play fullback for Queensland, even though his game one performance ended horribly when he was sent off for a high shot on Tolu Koula, which allowed the Blues to come back and win.
Knights coach Justin Holbrook was asked post-game on Sunday whether he would want any other player in his team and gave an emphatic response.
“No, definitely not,” Holbrook said of his captain.
“I love everything about him, I love the way he leads our team, it’s so infectious.
“I said to him a few times this year that if we were gonna get to the end and give it a shot, he’d have to be our best player and he handled that fine. He’s such a pleasure to work with and we’re very fortunate.”
Ponga will now look to take his club form to the World Cup, where a stacked New Zealand outfit are expected to challenge Australia for the crown.
Even without the likes of Dylan Brown and Phoenix Crossland due to injury and suspension, the Kiwis are still looming as the biggest threat to the Aussies.
If Ponga can star in a World Cup win in his first campaign for the Kiwis, it will surely heal some wounds from the grand final loss.
Kodi Nikorima, fresh off a career-best season with the Dolphins, will likely partner Jahrome Hughes in the halves as he prepares to play for the first time since 2023, while Dane Gagai has managed to switch his allegiance and is in the squad.
Dane Gagai is set to make his New Zealand debut. Getty Images
There had been concerns Hughes would miss the tournament after an injury-plagued season with Melbourne, but the halfback has been cleared to play.
Naufahu Whyte, James Fisher-Harris, Joseph Tapine, Moses Leota and Xavier Willison form an incredible front-row rotation that will trouble all of their rivals.
New Zealand Kiwis’ World Cup squad
Erin Clark, James Fisher-Harris, Dane Gagai, Jahrome Hughes, Jamayne Isaako, Keano Kini, Jacob Laban, Moses Leota, Jeremy Marshall-King, Te Maire Martin, Casey McLean, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Briton Nikora, Isaiah Papali’i, Kalyn Ponga, Scott Sorensen, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Joseph Tapine, Leo Thompson, Naufahu Whyte, Xavier Willison
