KNIGHTS skipper Kalyn Ponga could potentially miss Newcastle's pre-season trials and is unlikely to take part in the NRL All Stars after suffering a leg injury at training.
The club's marquee man injured a calf this week and while he has had scans, the Knights did not detail the extent of the injury on Friday, describing it on their website in a three-line statement as "not expected to be serious".
But the Newcastle Herald understands it could be weeks before Ponga is back on the training pitch.
The 24-year-old, who has been training to switch from fullback to five-eighth this season, is unlikely to be available for the NRL All Stars match on February 11 or the club's first trial, which is on February 10.
Knights director of football Peter Parr said last week the club would not stand in Ponga's way should he wish to represent the New Zealand Maori in Rotorua.
But with the club eager to make a strong start to the season after a tumultuous 2022, the likelihood of Ponga being part of the representative match now appears slim.
Newcastle take on Cronulla in the NRL's Pre-Season Challenge, a new competition incorporating games considered trials, on Friday, February 10.
They face the Eels the following week on Friday, February 17. Both games are at Central Coast Stadium.
There is then a fortnight break before the club's season opener against the Warriors in Wellington, New Zealand, on March 3.
Ponga's injury is a blow to the side's preparations for the 2023 season given his planned positional switch.
Last season's captain, Ponga had been training for as long as any other Newcastle player this pre-season after returning with the first batch of players back in early November.
He has been training alongside new halfback Jackson Hastings since he arrived at the club in late November.
Ponga missed Newcastle's last six games in 2022 after suffering a series of head knocks last season. He also then chose to forgo potential selection in Australia's World Cup squad to make a strong start to the pre-season.
New Knights recruit Tyson Gamble appears most likely to fill the void at five-eighth at training and in any games while Ponga is unfit.
Adam Clune, who played 18 games in the halves last season, is another option.
