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Newcastle Knights investigate Ponga toilet video

Kalyn Ponga's season is over but he's the focus of a club investigation for an off-field incident.

Kalyn Ponga's season is over but he's the focus of a club investigation for an off-field incident. Photo: AAP

NRL team Newcastle has launched an investigation after video footage emerged of a security guard escorting co-captain Kalyn Ponga and utility Kurt Mann out of a toilet cubicle.

In the clip, the security guard is surprised to see Ponga, the Knights co-caption, emerge before both men leave quietly with their drinks.

The video was filmed on Snapchat.

Newcastle said it was made aware of the video late on Sunday night but was still working on Monday to determine the reason for the pair’s run-in with security.

“The Newcastle Knights have been informed of a matter involving current players,” the club said in a statement on Monday afternoon.

“Knights’ management has commenced a process to gather all the required facts.

“Until such time no further comment will be provided.”

The Knights are as yet unsure when the clip was filmed but Ponga has been sidelined since round 19, when he suffered a concussion in the loss to the Sydney Roosters.

The video began circulating on social media shortly after Ponga ruled himself out for the remainder of the NRL season with his concussion.

Ponga’s father Andre told The Daily Telegraph that the pair were in the toilet together due to illness.

“He made an exciting house purchase Saturday and celebrated with a few mates drinking,” he said.

“Sick in the toilet and his mate went in to help him.”

Ponga’s latest head knock was his third in six weeks and prompted the fullback to consult with a neurologist.

Given the Knights won’t play finals this year, the club has taken a cautious approach to Ponga’s injury.

“I’d be sweet for the last round but doing no contact for the year, it probably would be a wise thing not to play the last round,” Ponga told Triple M Newcastle radio.

“It’s a bit weird. I feel OK now. At the start I felt a bit weird, headaches and what-not, but I feel all right now.

“It’s just hard. I feel OK. I feel fit. I want to play but I guess I’m just going through the protocols at the moment.”

Ponga has been the Knights’ co-captain since the beginning of the season and in April, signed a five-year contract extension to remain at the club until the end of 2027.

Mann is currently sidelined with a quad injury but is expected to return for the Knights’ last game of the season at home to Cronulla.

-with AAP

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