Kalyn Ponga

As Newcastle deal with the toilet footage of Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann, the NRL are set to re-visit the case for hair follicle drug testing.

“Knights’ management has commenced a process to gather all the required facts. The incident involving Ponga and Mann has been interpreted as another slap in the face to the under-fire coach. “The Newcastle Knights have been informed of a matter involving current players,” the Knights said in a statement. A second strike leads to a 12-match ban. Some integrity officials in the game are pushing for hair testing to be introduced. A first positive drug result by a player is kept confidential, and only shared between the NRL club chief executive and doctor.

The Newcastle Knights are not speculating on any potential punishment for captain Kalyn Ponga or teammate Kurt Mann after the pair were filmed being asked ...

"It's not a great look, but all the facts haven't been established yet. The brief clip, captioned "Ponga getting done in the toilet", shows a security guard ushering Ponga and Newcastle Knights teammate Kurt Mann out of a bathroom stall, saying "oh, that's a surprise" when he sees Ponga. The NRL integrity unit is investigating after video of Kalyn Ponga being ushered out of a toilet cubicle by a security guard emerged on Monday.

Knights director of football Peter Parr spoke with reporters on Tuesday morning.

"They'll now run the process and we'll support them in that." Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald. He previously worked in news, reporting on local government and transport. Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald. He previously worked in news, reporting on local government and transport.

Knights director of football Peter Parr spoke with reporters on Tuesday morning.

"They'll now run the process and we'll support them in that." Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald. He previously worked in news, reporting on local government and transport. Max McKinney is a sports reporter with the Newcastle Herald. He previously worked in news, reporting on local government and transport.

'Open-minded' Knights delay Ponga punishment call as club says problems 'self-inflicted'

we don’t have to make any decisions on that yet, we don’t even know if punishment is necessary yet.” The incident has led to suggestions Ponga should be stripped of the Knights captaincy. “We can’t make any decisions until everything is finalised,” Parr said. Parr also revealed it is “way too early” to make a call regarding the club’s captaincy, with many calling for Ponga to be stripped of the armband. “We are going through a tough period at the moment, but almost all of it is self-inflicted.” “We can’t make any decisions until anything is finalised, but it is way too early for that,” Parr said in a press conference.

There is more drama at Newcastle, with the club standing down Bradman Best and Enari Tuala as the NRL takes over the Kalyn Ponga probe.

“I think everyone will agree he turned out to be one of the better leaders in the game. The fact Ponga was out drinking with Mann while recovering from a serious concussion has led to calls for the superstar fullback to be stripped of the captaincy. Parr added that Johnathan Thurston also had some teething problems when first thrust into a leadership role at North Queensland, but emerged one of the great club captains. “They weren’t late by a long period of time, but we just believe they didn’t meet the standards necessary. “Adam was in complete agreeance it didn’t meet the standards of the team. Knights director of football Peter Parr fronted the media on Tuesday to discuss the Ponga-Mann issue, but gave scant details now that head office is tasked with the probe.

Newcastle Knights director of football Peter Parr has spoken about Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann's toilet cubicle video, saying it's “not a good look”.

“As soon as you start the honesty process, the healing process will start straight after that. “I think that it’s there has been a lack of leadership around the playing group and that’s not all on them,” Parr said. At the start I felt a bit weird, headaches and whatnot, but I feel all right now. “I have some sympathy for young people thrust into leadership roles that they’re not always going to get it right. “It’s not a great look, but all the facts haven’t been established yet. “Just because you it’s a young group. “I wouldn’t say it’s a great look, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. I feel OK. I feel fit. “That could be an education process. “It’s a really bad look and I know the Knights are really concerned about the PR side of it, the culture side of it,” Rothfield said. “It’s just hard. We don’t have to make any decisions on that yet because the process hasn’t been finalised.

Kalyn Ponga's role as co-captain of the Knights is in no jeopardy for the time being but two of his team-mates have been stood down for being late for the ...

"There's no doubt we need to improve the current standards and we need to improve them quickly if we're going to turn the club around." "We've got a fair bit of work to do and we have to improve some of the standards we've seen in the last couple of weeks. "Adam was in complete agreeance that it didn't meet the standards of the team and if you don't get what some people consider the smaller things right then you are no hope of getting the big stuff right so we thought it was an appropriate course of action.