Kalyn Ponga shows class with gesture to young Newcastle Knights fan

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KALYN Ponga has just been ruled out of State of Origin III, but that hasn’t stopped the Newcastle Knights star showing his class.

Ponga’s hamstring injury means he will miss Game III on Wednesday week, but the prodigious talent is still managing to make time for his biggest fan.

As reported on the Knights’ official website, Knights supporters Mat and Miquita Clarke have shared the story of the special relationship between Ponga and their four-year-old daughter Amaya.

Amaya is playing her first season of rugby league, for Morpeth in the Maitland region, and her favourite player in Ponga. Here’s the post from her parents that show what a decent young man the Knights fullback is.

“I just have to put this out there because sometimes I feel like there isn’t enough ‘good’ rugby league stories out there,” the post read.

“Over the course of this year, Amaya has develop (sic) quite the favourite player in Kalyn Ponga.

“From the first meeting with him back in January, (sic) and discovering that he wears headgear in games she was hooked, then at the Knights Junior members clinic during the last school holidays, Kalyn took the time to have a personal chat with Amaya and then sign her headgear after.

“Then at the in-store appearance at Rebel Sport in Glendale, Kalyn seemed genuinely excited to see Amaya and you couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. She then started to create drawing (sic) about him playing for QLD and her for NSW. Amaya created a personal video and I sent it to him and he got straight back with a message for her.

“Then today, he was sadly ruled out of Origin 3 and several weeks for the Knights due to injury, but instead of lamenting it, he was helping to make my daughter happy.

“Kalyn contacted me today, when he saw a photo of Amaya in her headgear where I had mentioned getting her some KP headgear from Steeden, offering to get her her own headgear for her birthday.

“I am seriously blown away by the lengths this young man has gone to, just to make her feel special.

“He is a credit to himself, his family and the club. Thank you so much Kalyn for your generosity and time. I can’t wait to see her reaction when she gets her new headgear.”

Well done, Kalyn!