Queensland’s hopes of sealing the State of Origin series have taken a blow, with Kalyn Ponga in serious doubt for Game III after suffering a foot injury during Newcastle’s 22-18 loss to Canberra on Friday night.
Ponga left the field in the second half and did not return, with Fox League’s James Hooper confirming the star fullback will undergo scans on Saturday.
The exact moment of the injury is unclear, but he was seen heading up the tunnel shortly after a Raiders try.
“Kalyn Ponga won’t be back tonight with a foot injury. He’ll have scans tomorrow,” Hooper revealed during the broadcast.
The timing is a major blow for both the struggling Knights and Queensland, with Maroons coach Billy Slater set to name his squad for the July 9 decider on Monday.
Ponga’s availability now hangs in the balance, just 12 days out from the series decider at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
After a quiet showing in Origin II and now under an injury cloud, all eyes will turn to Broncos and last years Queensland’s fullback Reece Walsh – himself only just back from a knee injury – as Brisbane prepare to face the Warriors on Saturday.
Meanwhile, over in Blues camp, there’s some relief after Penrith Panthers winger Brian To’o was cleared by the match review committee following a high shot late in Thursday’s epic 8-6 win over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
To’o was placed on report for a suspected high tackle on Bulldogs centre Bronson Xerri, but officials deemed the contact accidental – with slow motion images showing the impact to the chest before the arm bounced up.
“I asked him if he was all right, he said he was sweet,” To’o said post-match. “It is what it is, but I had to check on Brons [Xerri] and make sure he was OK.”
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary and Bulldogs boss Cameron Ciraldo both downplayed the incident. “I don’t think Brian’s got too much to worry about. There wasn’t much in it,” Ciraldo said.
Still, To’o is nursing a niggling knee injury picked up during the match – which is a concern for NSW selectors, especially after his standout Game II performance in Perth.
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