Kalyn Ponga Accepts Guilty Plea After Origin 1 Charges

Kalyn Ponga has accepted an early guilty plea after being charged during the opening match of the 2026 State of Origin series on 2026.

He was sent off for a shoulder charge that made direct, forceful contact with the head of New South Wales Blues winger Tolutau Koula.

The NRL's head of football, Graham Annesley, clarified that the charge potentially not meeting the send-off criteria was due to separate processes.

Ponga's Grade 2 charge saw a 23% of match fees fine, approximately $6900, which he accepted to avoid a potential suspension.

He will be free to play for the Newcastle Knights this weekend and the Maroons in Game 2 of the Origin series if selected.

The Queensland Maroons duo, including Harry Grant, have both accepted early guilty pleas after being charged during the match.

Grant was pinged for a careless high tackle during the second half of the game on Ethan Strange.

He was slapped with a Grade 1 careless high tackle charge and accepted a 7% of match fees fine, approximately $2100.

Grant will be free to play for the Melbourne Storm this weekend if Craig Bellamy asks him to back up.

The bunker had told Klein that the offence was at least a sin bin, rather than trying to tell the referee it was only a sin bin.

The final decision as to what the punishment should have been was down to the referee, and not Chris Butler, who was appointed to the bunker for the opening match of the series.