Overview

• The board will terminate Adam O’Brien’s contract at season’s end with a payout covering the final two years.
• Kalyn Ponga has engaged a New Zealand rugby union agent and may seek an early release from his $1.4 million-a-season deal.
• Some club officials are open to negotiating Ponga’s departure to free roughly 12–13 per cent of salary cap space for rebuilding.
• Blake Green and Josh Hannay have emerged as leading candidates to replace O’Brien, and Ponga’s decision may hinge on Hannay’s appointment.
• The Knights sit 13th on the NRL ladder with a 6–11 record this season, intensifying scrutiny of leadership and playing style.