Group 20 rugby league
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HE WAS one of the toughest men to ever pull on a New Zealand jersey but at his core, Hay Magpies marquee signing Quentin Pongia is soft as butter.
Now 43, the former Kiwi Test star will make the first of a series of guest appearances for the Group 20 strugglers on Sunday against the Yenda Blueheelers.
But it is the how and why of Pongia's pledge to help to the reigning wooden spooners that reveals the true breadth and depth of his lionhearted nature.
In reality, it is no skin off the former Raiders and Roosters prop's nose if Hay finish bottom for the next 50 years. If it wasn't for his participation in the 2011 Pie in the Sky game, the club wouldn't be anywhere close to his radar.
Yet he felt compelled to roll up his sleeves after Aaron Sweeney controversially reneged on a decision to join the Magpies in the off-season.
Brisbane-based Pongia was catching up with former Pies coach Ken Beissel, who lives on the Gold Coast, when the topic of Hay's inability to climb off the rugby league canvas came up.
"They were just talking, it was a casual conversation. And Quentin said he would like to help us out. That's all it was," co-coach Neil John Nisbet told The Area News.
“All he’s really coming here for is to help our club out – not so much to get a pat on the back or anything like that.
“When it comes down to it we’ve been wooden spooners for the two years we’ve been in first-grade and we just need to step it up a bit to get away from that area.
“He’s not making any money out of it – he’s only having his costs covered. Basically he’s doing it to be a good bloke.
“It’s a real big call from him and we’re honoured to have him.”
Nisbet isn’t wrong – it is a massive commitment from Pongia.
This weekend, the feared former forward will fly from Brisbane to Sydney to Griffith and then make the two-hour trek over to Hay by car, before taking off again on Monday morning.
While Father Time might have inevitably caught up with him, few are doubting his fitness levels. As recently as 2011, Pongia was an assistant coach at the Canberra Raiders after he was promoted from his strength and conditioning coach.
“The Magpies are on a winner with him,” current Raiders boss David Furner said.
“There won’t be any player tougher than him in the competition, and very few fitter.
“He plays the game hard and without any cheap shots. He will be a good sounding board for Neil John and (co-coach) Moe Clune.
“He will be sensational for the Magpies and give the spectators plenty of hits and memories during the season.”
With Hay likely to send a depleted side into battle against a new-look Yenda outfit on Sunday, the timing of Pongia’s arrival couldn’t be better.
The two best performers of the pre-season, English lock Phil Crosby and utility Simon Parr, are both unavailable, with the comeback king set to take charge of a baby-faced forward pack.
“It’s something we can’t avoid for a while but Quentin will alleviate the problem,” Nisbet said.
“That’s what I’ve been drumming into the players – we’ve actually got to be fair dinkum about it because he’s going out of his way to help us out. We need to make sure that he’s not wasting his time.”