Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga was the first NRL player to appear on the ABC children's program Play School when he joined the famous teds this week for a regular Story Time segment.
Story Time sees some of the country's most notable personalities cozy up with the real celebrities, Big Ted and friends, to read us a story.
The series has featured names like Rove McManus, Emma Wiggle, and Leigh Sales, but only an NRL player once our local on-field speedster joined Maurice, Big- and Little Ted to read The Speedy Sloth by Rebecca Young, illustrated by Heath McKenzie.
The story tells the tale of a young sloth who dreams of winning a running race. We won't spoil the ending, but as the star Knight says, "Sloths aren't known for their speed".
The episode aired on Monday on the national broadcaster's streaming platform, iView. It saw Ponga interact with the celebrity toys, decked out in sports bands and medals.
At the end of the story, Ponga asks the bears if they enjoy running in races, "Or maybe you like playing rugby league, like me".
Meanwhile, in his day job, Ponga appears set to resume his battle for the ages with Reece Walsh next month in the annual All-Stars exhibition match - potentially as members of the same team.
Newcastle's captain and the reigning Dally M player of the year was overlooked for last year's State of Origin opener after Queensland selectors found Walsh's form for Brisbane irresistible.
Ponga then ruled himself out of the rest of the series to focus on regaining form and confidence at club level, as Walsh helped the Maroons win the first two games to retain the interstate title.
The Knight's star had a tumultuous year in 2023. He was voted player of the year after a stunning season performance that saw the club return to the finals in a blaze of glory. Still, it came after the Dally M winner missed five games early in the season and suffered a string of concussion lay-offs that had him at one point considering retirement and put him at the front of debate over how the code deals with such injuries.
After sitting out a chunk of the season and undergoing intense neurological assessments on his brain, he was ultimately cleared to play and led the Knights' resurgence in the latter half of the season.
"This was probably the worst year and the best year all in one," he said after picking up his maiden Dally M in September.
Off the field, he courted controversy in the infamous "toilet incident" in August when he was caught on video being turfed from a cubicle at the Delaney with teammate Kurt Mann. Ponga's father and manager, Andre, has always insisted that his son was unwell on the fateful evening and Mann was only there to help his mate.
The scandal nevertheless took on a life of its own when an enterprising patron erected a plaque on the site commemorating the playmaker's ill health and Mann's dedication to the code of mateship.
Both players ultimately escaped formal sanction over the incident, but the tale has since entered the annals of Knights lore alongside Matty Johns' penchant for LEGO, that one blind-side try we'll never stop talking about, and the ongoing campaign to immortalise the immortal Johns brother in immortal bronze (come on Newcastle, where's Joey's statue?! Can't a man get a scintilla of recognition!)
