Kalyn Ponga’s classy act after being sent off in State of Origin Game 1

Kalyn Ponga was seen sharing a private moment with coach Billy Slater after Queensland’s heartbreaking defeat in the Origin series opener.

In a night of high drama, Ponga escaped a suspension, but was given his marching orders by referee Ashley Klein in a moment that turned the game on its head before NSW recorded a famous 22-20 victory at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night.

Ponga was sensationally sent off in the second half for a shoulder charge on NSW winger Tolu Koula.

You can watch the Kalyn Ponga send off call in the player above

Queensland had a 20-6 lead at the time of the send-off, but NSW charged home in the final 23 minutes.

Ponga was seen by Channel 9 cameras after the game making his way to Slater to apologise.

Slater’s face was typically emotionless as he accepted Ponga’s embrace.

Ponga also spoke with other members of the Queensland coaching staff before he left the coaches box on his own.

“Billy was sitting in the coach’s box and the class of Kalyn, he goes up for an apology,” James Bracey said of Ponga’s gesture on Channel Nine.

Meanwhile, Queensland legend Darren Lockyer admitted Ponga would be feeling as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

“That’s a nice gesture from Kalyn, in the end he is probably feeling like he cost Queensland the game,” Darren Lockyer said.

“I think from Queensland’s perspective, the decision has been made, we can’t change it and the game’s gone. We’re one-nil down and we are just going to have to dust ourselves off.

Kalyn Ponga speaks to Billy Slater. Photo: Channel 9.

“But like I said, there would be a lot of people in that change room right now perplexed about that all happened.”

The decision to send Ponga off arguably cost Queensland the game, leaving Maroons fans furious.

And in a staggering decision just before midnight on Wednesday, the NRL Match Review Committee decided not to hand Ponga a suspension for his shoulder charge on Koula.

Billy Slater and Kalyn Ponga hug it out. Photo: Channel 9.

Ponga was charged with a grade two shoulder charge.

A grade two charge would ordinarily have seen Ponga banned for two games in the NRL, but a change to the judicial code in rep games means the superstar fullback only has to pay 23 per cent of his match fee with an early guilty plea – a $6900 fine.

If he is to fight the charge and lose that will rise to a third of his match fees.

The decision left the NRL world stunned.

Kalyn Ponga has escaped a ban for his high shot on Tolu Koula that changed Origin 1. Image: Getty/Nine

SOO 2026 RD01 New South Wales v Queensland – Kalyn Ponga, Send Off. Picture: NRL Photos

“Insanity. That now become the precedent for every head contact, shoulder charge moving forward,” one fan said in response to the Match Review Committee’s findings.

“Is this is the first known case in NRL history where a player was sent off for a shoulder charge with direct head contact and then escaped without a suspension?” another stunned supporter wrote.

“That’ll do me. What a joke,” a third added.

The fine means Ponga is free to run out for the Knights on Saturday against the Eels.

However, adding to fan fury is the news that Koula will enter the NRL’s concussion protocols with an associated 11-day stand-down period.

It means he will miss the Sea Eagles’ next two games, as they next play two days and nine days from now.

While other angry fans pointed to the fact that the last Origin send off before Ponga’s brought about a four-match suspension.

Joseph Suaalii’s late hit on Reece Walsh in the eighth minute of the 2024 State of Origin series opener saw the former Rooster slapped with a hefty ban.

Source: https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/kalyn-pongas-classy-act-after-being-sent-off-in-state-of-origin-game-1/news-story/f3132ecdc1ac6418f83b58661ae6ef18