Should Maroons fullback have been marched for shoulder charge on Tolu Koula?
Should Kalyn Ponga have been sent off directly from the field for hitting Tolu Koula in the head with a shoulder charge? So did it cost Queensland victory?
These will be the talking points in the coming days as TV pundits and even the majority of NSW fans are convinced that Ponga’s job is getting tougher.
Approaching the hour mark of Origin I, Queensland leading 20-6, full-back Ponga swooped in as the last line of defense to stop Koula, who was sent into space by Ethan Strange.
Sam Walker tackled Koula, then Ponga finished him off, connecting directly on the NSW winger’s head. Koula was lying on deck when referee Ashley Klein immediately asked dugout official Chris Butler whether the tackle was worthy of sending off.
“This is a direct shoulder blow to the head; I think it’s a send-off,” Klein told Butler.
After several anxious moments, Klein was overheard Ponga telling Butler: “I know what you said” before claiming he made no attempt to intervene.
Ponga, who claimed the contact was an accidental clash of heads, was given his marching orders after commentators, including Blues legend Andrew Johns, expressed disbelief.
At best, Johns and Queensland icon Cameron Smith, sitting side by side in the Nine commentary box, thought ten minutes in the bin would be enough.
“It is,” Queensland coach Billy Slater said afterwards. “[Ponga] He thinks he let his team down, but such things happen in games. They’re really fast.
“I’ve been in his situation, I know how difficult it is: all of a sudden, it’s wet outside, things happen. I thought it was a brave effort from our players. I’m heartbroken for them, the effort they put in. They played with so much heart.”
NSW thought they had scored in the next set after Ponga was sent off, Ethan Strange hitting the right side and Haumole Olakau’atu blocking Harry Grant and stepping aside.
But Strange soon scored a four-pointer as NSW’s spectacular comeback against 12 Queenslanders took shape.
The fact that Koula was later ruled out with a concussion will go a long way towards justifying Klein’s brave call. The match review committee will also come down hard on Ponga, which is bad news for Newcastle and potentially the Maroons for the second leg in Melbourne.
There were few complaints when Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was given his marching orders when he stepped off the line and nearly decapitated Reece Walsh in the first match of 2024.
However, Ponga’s dismissal will be hotly debated in the coming days. He became the seventh player to be sent off in Origin.
Up until that point, Klein had let the game flow, allowing just three penalties and three set restarts in the first half. It was like we were back in 2022 and it was beautiful to watch. A late-game pick-six replay call allowed the Blues to go on the attack and score through Nathan Cleary to move to within four points of the Maroons.
All the controversial calls were quickly resolved by Butler sitting in the dugout, including the decision to penalize Cam Murray for climbing on Kurt Capewell’s back while trying to score a point late in the first half.
Queensland managed to win the captaincy battle in the second half after Max Plath claimed he was balled high while trying to catch the ball. NSW then fumbled Murray’s challenge when Cam Munster thought he had blown him up.
Klein will be remembered for a decision, but that should not detract from a good overall performance and he should feature in the second leg at the MCG next month.
News, results and expert analysis from the sports weekend delivered every Monday. Sign up for our sports newsletter.
