NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

Producers hit out at Kingsley Jones over Jonah Lomu miniseries claims

Heath Moore
By Heath Moore
NZ Herald·
20 Aug, 2019 04:07 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Jonah Miniseries Trailer. Video / Three
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Producers of the TV miniseries Jonah, the life story of the rugby legend, have hit back at Phil Kingsley Jones' claims he wasn't consulted over the miniseries.

Jonah, directed by Danny Mulheron, aired over two nights on Three and has won praise for the performance of Mosese Veaila as the rugby great.

Kingsley Jones is widely credited as the man who discovered Lomu when he was playing at Auckland's Wesley College.

But following the airing of Jonah, Kingsley Jones today criticised the miniseries, saying "it was all over the place and [had] a lot of truths left out", claiming the show had "so much wrong" with it.

Last year Kingsley Jones told the Herald that he hadn't been consulted about the series.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I offered to consult for them for free but they never came to me. I am alive, Jonah's not. They can write what they like. I mean they better get it right."

Phil Kingsley Jones with his superstar client Jonah Lomu. Photo/ Photosport
Phil Kingsley Jones with his superstar client Jonah Lomu. Photo/ Photosport

Now the producers have hit back at Kingsley Jones' claims.

A spokesperson for Great Southern Television told the Herald that Kingsley Jones was heavily involved in the making of the drama - including lengthy discussions with both researchers and producers.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The producers conducted over 200 hours of interviews ahead of the scripting process," the spokesperson said.

"Of that, Phil's interview was around four hours long. He sat down with the writing and research team and then subsequently had a couple of meetings with producers and the production team.

"He met with the actor portraying him on screen for a couple of hours and he visited the set of the production for three hours."

Kelson Henderson as Phil Kingsley-Jones Mosese Vea'ila as Jonah Lomu in Jonah. Photo / Supplied
Kelson Henderson as Phil Kingsley-Jones Mosese Vea'ila as Jonah Lomu in Jonah. Photo / Supplied

Images of Kingsley Jones meeting with the actor who portrayed him on screen, Kelson Henderson, have also been posted to social media.

View this post on Instagram

Trying to do the man proud... the real PKJ and the imposter. #jonah

A post shared by Kelson (@kelsonalyn) on Aug 19, 2019 at 2:32am PDT

The spokesperson for Great Southern Television also confirmed researchers and producers conducted numerous interviews with Lomu's mother Hepi, brother John, former coaches Laurie Mains and John Hart, doctor John Mayhew, and Phil Kingsley Jones himself as well as many others who played an influential part in the rugby legend's life.

When approached by the Herald regarding his involvement and social media criticism of the miniseries, Kingsley Jones refused to comment or elaborate.

Kingsley Jones went on to manage Lomu throughout his career, before Lomu's marriage to Fiona Taylor saw their partnership end. The drama last night showed Taylor questioning Kingsley Jones about money she believed had been withheld from Lomu.

The Welshman recently spoke to the New Zealand Woman's Weekly and shared his frustrations over the bitter end to his relationship with Jonah.

Jonah Lomu seen in 1999 with Phil Kingsley-Jones (left) and NZRFU CEO David Rutherford. Photo / Getty
Jonah Lomu seen in 1999 with Phil Kingsley-Jones (left) and NZRFU CEO David Rutherford. Photo / Getty

"It was the worst time of my life not going to the funeral," he told the magazine.

"A young prop from Tonga who did security rang me up and said, 'Phil, I've been told you're not allowed at that funeral – Jonah wouldn't want you there'.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"On the day of the funeral, I sat at the Counties Manukau clubrooms and watched it on the telly with tears streaming down my face."

The 71-year-old told Women's Weekly he hadn't been involved in the making of the two-part movie but hoped he was portrayed fairly.

The two-part special has been criticised by Herald reviewer Anna Murray for its "disjointed script" and its reliance on viewers' knowledge of the intimate details of Lomu's love life.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Formula 1Updated

‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

03 Jul 09:00 PM
Formula 1

'There are always rumours': Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future

03 Jul 08:09 PM
Boxing

Mexican boxer arrested, faces deportation days after loss to Jake Paul

03 Jul 07:34 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

03 Jul 09:00 PM

The Kiwi boasts a strong record at Silverstone before this weekend’s race.

'There are always rumours': Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future

'There are always rumours': Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future

03 Jul 08:09 PM
Mexican boxer arrested, faces deportation days after loss to Jake Paul

Mexican boxer arrested, faces deportation days after loss to Jake Paul

03 Jul 07:34 PM
NZ Herald Sports Update: July 4, 2025

NZ Herald Sports Update: July 4, 2025

From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP