KNGHTS captain Kalyn Ponga has been given the all-clear to return to rugby league in the annual pre-season All Stars match next month.
Ponga has not played since July 22 last year, when he suffered a concussion against Sydney Roosters and was stood down for the last six games of the season.
Given that it was his fifth head knock in the space of a few months, Knights officials and Ponga's medical specialists opted to err on the side of caution.
As well as sitting out the last quarter of the season, the Queensland Origin fullback also contacted Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga to declare himself unavailable for the World Cup.
But the 24-year-old has reported no lingering effects and has been in full training since the Knights kicked off their pre-season in early November.
"He'd been cleared by the specialists to play in the last round last season, but for the sake of one game, we didn't feel it was something that we needed to do," Knights director of football Peter Parr told the Newcastle Herald.
"Since pre-season training has started, he hasn't been on a modified program, or having to sit out contact sessions, or anything like that.
"It's been full-bore since he's been back."
Parr said the Knights would have no qualms if Ponga was chosen to represent the New Zealand Maori in their pre-season clash with the Indigenous All Stars in Rotorua on February 11.
"I learned a long time ago that the All Stars games mean a lot to the players, so if he's fit and available, I can't see why he wouldn't play," Parr said.
"If we felt there was any risk to any of our players, they wouldn't play.
"But if they're fit and healthy and want to play, I don't think it's our place to stop them."
Ponga has twice previously represented the Maori, playing five-eighth in 2019 and fullback in 2020.
If chosen, he will miss Newcastle's opening trial match, against Cronulla at Gosford on February 10.
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