The dilemma that comes with signing a $1.4 million-a-season contract in the NRL is that the price tag significantly inhibits the ability of the player and the club to secure the premiership that inspired the deal in the first place.

That realisation has finally kicked in for Kalyn Ponga and the Newcastle Knights as all signs point towards the end of their marriage.

With Ponga engaging a New Zealand-based rugby union agent, there is a growing possibility the 27-year-old could ask for a release from the remaining two years of his deal as early as the end of this season.

If, as expected, Ponga does not play for the Knights again this year due to injury, the fullback would have missed a whopping 46 games for Newcastle in five seasons.

It’s why some at Newcastle will give serious consideration to letting Ponga leave if he asks for a release from his contract in the coming months.

The fact he’s missed 37 per cent of games while taking up close to 13 per cent of the salary cap has contributed to the roster imbalance the club is now trying to change.

The Knights know $13 million recruit Dylan Brown is more suited to the No.6 role, but will have to wear the No.7 jersey to accommodate young gun Fletcher Sharpe at five-eighth, if Ponga stays.

Sharpe is a makeshift No.6, and the potential departure of Ponga could open the door for him to play in the No.1 jersey – his preferred position.

Ponga’s exit would give the Knights $1.4 million to spend on other key positions, including the organising halfback they so desperately want.

On the flipside, the Ponga camp has realised the prospect of leading Newcastle to a premiership in the near future appears a pipedream.

The club is entering what appears to be a rebuilding phase with changes in administration, coaching and the playing squad.

Ponga is the captain of the club but is ready to put himself first by exploring whether the grass could be greener on the other side.

Ponga is a player of enormous talent and he has been the face of the club since he joined the Knights from North Queensland in 2018. He has long held a desire to play for the All Blacks in rugby union.

He has told people that his next move is not about money. Even if it was, it would be difficult – if not impossible – for Ponga to leave Newcastle at the end of the season and find another NRL team with the funds and salary cap space to make that happen.

The Knights are also unlikely to let their star player walk into another NRL team. It’s why a move to rugby union appears a more likely scenario with Newcastle previously showing a willingness to allow Ponga to chase his rugby dreams with a get-out clause in his last deal.

It seems Ponga has two options if he wants to depart Newcastle at the end of the season: sign a contract with a New Zealand Super Rugby franchise in the hope of giving himself time to play for the All Blacks at the 2027 World Cup in Australia, or spend 18 months in either Japanese or French rugby before returning to the NRL when cashed-up expansion teams enter the competition in 2027 (Perth) and 2028 (Papua New Guinea).

Newcastle, meanwhile, are at a crossroads as a football club. They’ve failed to take advantage of a thriving junior nursery for the best part of two decades.

They are struggling to attract top players to the club without paying more than they should, and the team is struggling to inspire a footy-mad region.

Coach Adam O’Brien is likely to pay the price for that at the end of this campaign, with the club already manoeuvring to change the coaching staff during the off-season.

To be fair to O’Brien, his team has been decimated by injury yet again with Sharpe, Ponga and now Dylan Lucas all on the sidelines through injury.

O’Brien has a decent record, leading the Knights to finals football on four occasions in the past five seasons. However, it looks like they will miss the top eight this season and patience is running out.

Assistant coach Blake Green, who shares the same player agent (Isaac Moses) as O’Brien, has strong support internally. The club is impressed with his football nous, his man management and his connection with the players.

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The negative for Green is his inexperience, and the fact he has overseen the team’s struggling attack all season. Those who are pushing for his elevation into the head coaching role say he’s just implementing the plans of the head coach and can’t be blamed for the team’s attacking woes.

There is also a strong push from some sections of the club for Josh Hannay, the Cronulla and Queensland assistant coach who has a long-standing relationship with CEO-in-waiting Peter Parr from their time together at the Cowboys.

The situation with O’Brien is not linked to Ponga’s future, but it could provide the Knights with the opportunity to think about where the club is headed.

A complete reset may be the answer.

Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.

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