Knights No.1 gun Kalyn Ponga crowned 2023 Dally M Medal winner

Kalyn Ponga has become the third Knights player to claim the game's highest individual honour after being named the 2023 Dally M Medal winner at a glittering ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday night.

The champion fullback joins Immortal Andrew Johns (1998, 1999, 2002) and Danny Buderus (2004) on Newcastle's Dally M honour roll after a superb season in which he led his team back to the finals after they finished 14th in 2022.

Named as the Dally M Fullback of the Year in addition to the main award, Ponga had 21 try assists and 19 line breaks in his 20 matches, bursting to life in the second half of the season as the Knights won nine games on the trot to finish in fifth position.

Ponga averaged 145 run metres per game in 2023 and broke 96 tackles as he thrilled the Knights faithful with his attacking prowess.

"It's a pretty crazy feeling standing up here in front of so much talent," Ponga said.

"I had an early season holiday and while I was over there, I decided that I wanted to stop letting people down and start making people proud and I think I came back and did that. What a year.

"To the boys playing this weekend, I'm envious of you and all the best."

With Knights No.1 Tamika Upton claiming the NRLW Dally M Medal it signals the first time since the women's competition began in 2018 that the same club has supplied the winners of the two prestigious prizes.