Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga says he did not realise he had been sent off during State of Origin until he reached the dressing room following his high shot on New South Wales winger Tolu Koula.
Ponga became just the seventh player in Origin history to be sent off after colliding heavily with Koula in a tackle that ruled the Blues speedster out for the remainder of the match.
The incident sparked heated reactions on the field, with Ponga and Maroons captain Cameron Munster questioning referee Ashley Klein before the Queensland star was dismissed.
On-field audio later revealed Klein overruled the Bunker before making the decision to send Ponga from the field.
Speaking after the match, Ponga admitted he was unaware of the severity of the punishment at the time.
He said he didn’t realise it was a send off when he left the field.
Ponga said he had no idea what was going on and thought they were assessing him for a head knock.
The Newcastle Knights fullback said he had not yet reviewed the incident but accepted the referee’s decision.
Despite the controversy, Ponga will remain available for both club and representative duties after the NRL match review committee issued him with a grade two shoulder charge offence.
Under normal NRL judiciary rules, the charge would likely have resulted in a two-match suspension.
However, changes to the judiciary code for representative matches mean Ponga will instead pay a fine of $6,900 with an early guilty plea and will be free to play for the Knights this weekend as well as Queensland for the remainder of the Origin series.
Ponga is expected to remain a key figure for the Maroons ahead of Game Two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next month.
State of Origin Game 2 will be held next month on Wednesday, June 17th, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne at 10.05pm FJT.
Source: Fox Sports
