The 2020 nib Newcastle Knights awards evening crowned a new Danny Buderus medal winner.
Kalyn Ponga has won the award for the second time in his career.
Coach Adam O'Brien said; “Kalyn has had a terrific season.
“He often gets recognition for his flashy plays and while they he can do some brilliant things with the ball, I’ve been most impressed by the things that tend to go unnoticed.
“His defence, efforts off the ball and talk were things that impressed me.
“His toughness is something which is overlooked by a lot of experts but even his harshest critic would acknowledge how gritty some of his performances were.
“It’s easy to forget that he’s only 22. We’re just skimming the surface when it comes to KP and what he can do in this game and with this Club.
“I couldn’t be prouder of KP and to claim the Danny Buderus medal, in a season where Danny returned to the Club is a fitting way to conclude our season.”
The evening, held at NEX on Thursday night, also included a formal farewell to the Club's departing players.
Read on for the full list of award winners:
Danny Buderus Medal (Player of the Year) - Kalyn Ponga
NRL Players’ Player Award - Kalyn Ponga
Gladiator of the Year Award - Kurt Mann
Community Player of the Year - Connor Watson
Rookie of the Year - Chris Randall
Knight in Shining Armor - Mitch Barnett
Club Person of the Year - Luke Huth
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NRL Debut Players - Tex Hoy, Chris Randall and Brodie Jones
NRL Milestones - Kalyn Ponga - 50 Knights and NRL Games, Mitch Pearce - 50 Knights games, Aidan Guerra - 200 NRL games, Aidan Guerra - 50 Knights games, David Klemmer - 150 NRL games, Herman Ese'ese - 50 Knights games
