Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga has been involved in yet another concussion scare after he was sent from the field for a head injury assessment (HIA) against the Canberra Raiders.
It marks his third head knock-related incident of the current season following a brutal 2022 campaign.
MORE: NRL Round 22 - Knights continue finals push with Raiders win
Kalyn Ponga injury news: Knights star returns to field after head knock
It was another scary moment on the field for Ponga on Saturday afternoon, suffering a head knock late in the Knights' big win over the Raiders.
His head collided with the knee of Jordan Rapana after making an athletic pass.
The fullback remained on the ground following the hit and was visibly rattled once he returned to his feet.
In line with head injury protocols, Ponga exited the field in the 60th minute, replaced by Brodie Jones.
Fortunately, he passed his HIA and even returned to the action with seven minutes of play remaining, despite his side leading by a significant margin.
'Bloody good job': Adam O'Brien pleased with Ponga at fullback
Knights coach Adam O'Brien was a satisfied figure following Newcastle's latest win.
He shared that Ponga's return to the field was important for overall morale and building confidence.
"Yep, [it's a confidence boost] for me, the whole town, Kalyn, everyone who loves footy," O'Brien said.
O'Brien also responded to a question regarding Ponga's long-term future in the No. 1 jersey, and whether the five-eighth experiment is over.
"He's doing a bloody good job at fullback, so yeah, [he'll stay there]," he said.
"And Tyson Gamble is doing a good job at No. 6."
Kalyn Ponga concussion history
Ponga has an unfortunate history of head knocks, underlined by a brutal 2022 season.
The Knights captain suffered three concussions in the space of six weeks last year, which resulted in him hanging the boots up before the conclusion of the campaign.
His most recent HIA scare came in May, but he was able to return to the field to finish a game against the Cronulla Sharks.
An earlier head knock this season - against the Tigers in Round 2 of 2023 - saw former players and experts concerned about his long-term viability in the league.
"My concern with Kalyn – and I’ve retired two players because of repeated concussions in my career – is the ease with which it happens now," Phil Gould said.
"I don’t see those knocks as anything over the top that should be causing those sorts of problems for him, it just seems now the ease with the collisions, he seems to react badly to it.
"That’s not a good sign. I think his career is in jeopardy, to be honest – I don’t know how you sort through that."
