NRL looking into Ponga's third-party deal after concerns raised

The governing body is looking into a financial agreement between Ponga and a business it approved in 2020 when reviewing all clubs' third-party deals.

Ponga's father and manager, Andre, is understood to have raised issues with the agreement and met with the NRL in recent weeks.

Multiple media reports have suggested Ponga is, or was, potentially out of pocket a six-figure sum.

But the NRL is now investigating whether the deal was actually done at arm's length from the Knights.

Under NRL rules, clubs are not allowed to facilitate third-party deals for players.

Andre Ponga did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

The Knights would not expand from a statement issued late Monday.

"All third parties are registered with the NRL," a Knights spokesperson said. "There's no issue with Kalyn Ponga's contract and anything to do with third parties remain between the player and his agent to resolve."

The club did not deviate from that statement on Tuesday. Wests Group/Knights chief executive Philip Gardner did not respond to an approach for comment.

It is not yet clear what has changed for the NRL to now be reviewing a deal they approved of four years ago.

There are suggestions an associate of the business involved in the deal has become more closely aligned with the club. Responding to initial reports, the NRL said it was "aware of the matter" and "reviewing it".

If the NRL finds the deal wasn't separate from the club, and a breach of contracting rules, the Knights could be forced to include the sum in their salary cap.

Ponga, who has missed Newcastle's past three games due to a foot injury, signed an extended five-year mega deal with the Knights in 2022.

Contracted until the end of the 2027 season, he is one of the highest-paid players in the game; earning well north of $1 million per season.

Last month, the Newcastle Herald reported that the Knights and Ponga had agreed to spread about $200,000 of his salary from this season, across the next three, to give the club more salary space this year.