The NRL grand final on October 4 pits the Sydney Roosters against Newcastle Knights, with their fullbacks and captains, James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga, representing vastly different career trajectories. While Ponga entered the league at age 17 as a prodigy, instantly gaining widespread acclaim and recognition, Tedesco struggled through injuries and doubters before emerging as a consistent star despite facing skepticism throughout his career.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Their position, status and ability is about all the two have in common and right from the start the two have walked very different paths to Stadium Australia.
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two → have → Australia
Ponga has been in the papers since he was 15, his first highlights went viral when he was only 17, his first NRL game was a sudden-death semi-final and his first touch was a scorching linebreak that announced a new prince was born.
asserted
prince → go → papers
Once he joined Newcastle in 2018 and finished as the Dally M runner up in his first full season in first grade, his talent was so blinding he never had to prove himself — belief was in his ability was assured.
asserted
was → join → ability
The world was his, because everyone in rugby league was so eager to give it to him.
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everyone → give → him
Just making first grade was far from a guarantee.
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making → make → guarantee
Eventually, he didn't just run down those who were ahead of him, he raced right past them and by the time he made his NRL debut for Wests Tigers in Round 1 of the 2012 season he'd shown himself to be a player of the future.
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he → run → future
But that future would have to wait.
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future → have → ?
Where Ponga's debut was covered in chrome, Tedesco's became the hardest day of his young life when he blew his knee out 30 minutes in and was stretchered off Leichhardt Oval in tears.
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he → cover → tears
It kicked off a series of injury troubles and it wasn't until three seasons later that Tedesco managed to shrug them off and become an every-week first grader.
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Tedesco → kick → them
During those years, the naysayers rose up and once again Tedesco outlasted them.
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Tedesco → rise → them
He is a player of enormous internal motivation — for him, improvement is less of a journey to be better than a compulsion that defines him and he has put a saddle on that beast and ridden it to greatness.
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he → define → greatness
The doubt of others is the whip he uses to flog it, like he did when time seemed to come for him as he lost his New South Wales and Australian spots two years ago.
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he → use → spots
He was old enough to go quietly into that good night without shame, and after a career of magnificent achievement the game was prepared to move on only Tedesco would not let it.
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Tedesco → go → it
"In 2024 and 2025 when I wasn't playing Origin or Test footy, people were doubting me a bit and I got some drive from that," said Tedesco.
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Tedesco → play → that
"I've been used to that — growing up I was told I wasn't going to make it when I wasn't picked in teams, when I had injuries at the start of my career people told me my body wouldn't last.
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body → grow → me
"Those external things do motivate me, but the internal one is still the biggest.
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one → motivate → me
That'll always be there for me and when it isn't I'll realise it's time to finish.
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it → realise → me
"
It had been so long since he was counted out but Tedesco still fought like a demon to prove himself one more time as he claimed last year's Dally M medal and returned to Origin this season.
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he → count → Origin
It has given him a second life but it's still not enough.
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it → give → life
He is not satisfied and doubts he ever will be.
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he → doubt → ?
I always want to improve and learn and get better," said Tedesco.
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Tedesco → want → ?
"That's a part of me, that's been ingrained in me since I was a kid.
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I → ingrain → me
It's got me to where I am today."
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I → get → me
Tedesco has been in that place for many years and that is where Ponga now strides towards.
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Ponga → stride → where
Right from those first days in Newcastle his raw star power, through no fault of his own, quickly made him bigger than the club he played for.
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he → make → club
The adulation continued to flow like a river as the highlights and the Fox League spots stacked up as personal success came naturally to Ponga, but in terms of team success there were many lean winters.
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success → continue → success
The 29-year old didn't play in a final until 2020, didn't win one until 2023 and in the last three weeks the Knights have more finals victories than the rest of Ponga's time with the club combined.
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Knights → play → club
What seemed like a pre-destined journey to the top has not always been smooth.
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seemed → seem → top
But if Ponga could speak to his younger self he wouldn't ask him to change because if he did it might not have brought him to where he is right now.
uncertain
he → speak → him
"He'd have wanted it earlier, he was impatient.
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he → want → it
But it makes it sweeter, to go through those tough times — the adversity, injuries, bad years," said Ponga.
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Ponga → make → times
"All the emotion came out when Sandon (Smith) took that intercept.
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Sandon → come → intercept
But I wouldn't trade any of it because I'm grateful to be here now.
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I → trade → it
I think everyone was riding that last minute with us.
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everyone → think → us
The relief — nine years I've been here and I've always dreamt of being in this position and it came true with that intercept."
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it → dream → intercept
Ponga's uncontainable passion as a leader has been vibrant and bustling and it's come through in his football, which has perhaps been better but has never been tougher.
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which → come → football
He has not scored a try or set one up in this finals series even as he's been outstanding in all three matches, with his running game, defence and leadership coming to the fore.
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game → score → fore
"When you grow up, you mature — or you'd hope so.
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you → grow → ?
The environment I'm in has changed, it allows me to be the best version of myself and it allows me to be myself," said Ponga.
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Ponga → change → myself
"There's no pressure on me to be someone I'm not, as a player or a person.
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I → be → player
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
