The Kiwis perform their haka before their World Cup semi-final against Tonga. Photo / Photosport
Kiwis fullback Kalyn Ponga is keeping his cards close to his chest on whether fans can expect another intense haka before Sunday’s Rugby League World Cup final against the Kangaroos in Brisbane.
Pre-match traditions have been the talk of the tournament in recent weeks, following Tonga and Samoa performing the Sipi Tau and Siva Tau before their match, while the intensity lifted during the semi-finals for both nations.
After Tonga performed their Sipi Tau and the Kiwis completed their haka, there was a staredown between the sides which lasted for over a minute and caused the stadium to erupt.
Australia were on the receiving end of an incredible rendition of Siva Tau from Samoa before their semi-final which saw players from both nations lock horns.
For Kiwis fans, the haka often remains a core memory from a game, with the spine-tingling performance before the 2008 World Cup final against Australia remembered as one of the greatest when the two teams came together.
Many are hoping for something similar at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, but Ponga was coy when asked if the team had anything special planned for the final.
“I‘m not too sure,” Ponga said. “I just stand at the back and let the big boys lead that.
“I think that moment from Samoa, I was watching, I think it just shows how passionate and proud those boys are.
“I think this whole World Cup we’ve seen, especially the smaller nations how how proud they are to represent their people, and it’s going to be no different on Sunday night.
“I’m not too sure about the stare down and how long that’s going to last and things like that, but there is a job to do after that.
“That’s probably our main focus and and not so much the start, but it’s just just people being proud of who they’re representing and um, you see so much passion on this on the world stage. It’s it’s awesome to see.”
Ponga has been on an emotional World Cup run, which started by breaking his left arm in the Kiwis’ 24-22 defeat to the Kangaroos in the tournament opener – his New Zealand debut – which required surgery.
But he made a stunning comeback 23 days later to take his place in the team which beat Tonga 34-10 to help the Kiwis make their first World Cup final since 2013.
The Kiwis have only won the World Cup once, in 2008, and Ponga is trying not to get carried away ahead of the final.
“Just being in this camp, I’m extremely grateful,” Ponga said.
“The people that are in this camp, the boys that have been here for a number of years now, I think they’ve felt probably more than what I have.
“I’m just trying to do my part for this team and and play my role, but I think it’ll mean a lot to this team, to this country, and our people.”
Despite only playing two tests, Ponga is widely considered to be in a battle with Kangaroos fullback Reece Walsh for the Golden Boot prize for the best player in international rugby league.
Ponga said he’s excited for another battle with Walsh.
“I respect Reece a lot,” Ponga said.
“I think we all love seeing Reece do well. We all love those sort of battles. Um, it’s always all love off the field and obviously when we get on the field we aren’t friends, but we can both or hopefully we can both make Sunday night entertaining, but hopefully not too much for him.
“We can limit his role a little bit, but obviously he’s a player that we all love to watch, we all support and no doubt he’ll be doing his best on Sunday.”
This will be the fifth World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia, with the Kangaroos winning four of them.
Australia has won eight of the last 10 meetings against New Zealand. However, the Kiwis have won four of their last five matches against the Kangaroos at Suncorp Stadium, including the finals of the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.