NRL 2024: Dolphins prop Tevita Pangai Jr opens up on dramatic Canterbury Bulldogs exit ahead of grudge match
Tevita Pangai Jr shocked the NRL when he walked out on the Bulldogs to pursue boxing. One year on from his bombshell exit, the Dolphins prop opens up on his decision.
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Tevita Pangai Jr has lifted the lid on his dramatic exit from the Bulldogs as the Dolphins hit-man prepares for his first encounter with the Canterbury club he walked out on.
Pangai will lead the Dolphins into a crucial clash with the Bulldogs in Bundaberg on Saturday.
Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of Pangai dropping a bombshell on the NRL and quitting a $750,000-a-season contract with the Bulldogs to pursue a professional boxing career.
On his way out of the NRL, Pangai lashed living in Sydney, claiming he “hated” the city and “the place sucks”.
But the former Broncos prop didn’t last long in the ring, opting to return to the NRL with the Dolphins midway through this season after Brisbane rejected his hopes of a Red Hill reunion.
Since Pangai departed Belmore, the Bulldogs have risen to the cusp of the top four under coach Cameron Ciraldo and can deliver a dagger to the Dolphins’ finals hopes in Bundaberg.
Pangai Jr, 28, insisted he left Belmore on good terms and he had no issues with the hard-marking Ciraldo.
“There’s no bad blood, I have some good close friends there,” he said.
“They have made some big strides, it’s good to see how they’re going.
“You can see Stephen Crichton has made a big difference to their team. They’re playing really well and I always believed ‘Ciro’ (Ciraldo) was the coach to make them a premiership contender again.
“I left on great terms. I told ‘Ciro’ in the off-season that if we weren’t going to make the (2023) finals I’m happy to leave without a payout and that’s what I did.
“I know the narrative is that I left because things were tough, but the honest truth is I stuck to my word and I wasn’t enjoying my time in Sydney.
“I always rated ‘Ciro’ as a coach. He’s a great bloke with great defensive systems.
“They work hard and I’m just glad that Ciro’s stuck by his guns and stuck by his systems. He knows what worked at Penrith when he did their defence and it’s coming to fruition now.”
There will be plenty on the line for both teams at Salter Oval in what is a “home” game for the Bulldogs.
Canterbury is one win, and 65 points differential, behind fourth-placed Cronulla on the ladder and need to win to keep in touch with the top four.
The Dolphins moved back into the top eight with a golden-point win against the Warriors last weekend and face a challenging finish to the regular season with games against the Storm, Broncos and Knights to come.
The Bulldogs are statistically the NRL’s second-best defensive team this year, conceding just 327 points to sit marginally behind three-time premiers Penrith (324).
Pangai Jr said he dropped below the standards that earned him NSW Origin selection in 2023 and decided it was best to depart Belmore.
“There’s no issue with Cameron. He knows what we spoke about,” he said.
“I had some goals I wrote down and I told them if I didn’t meet them I would quit the NRL and take up boxing.
“I said to ‘Ciro’ if we didn’t make the top eight (in 2023) that I would leave the club and I’d go without a payout.
“We had a great relationship. Cameron didn’t want to hold me to those words, but I felt I dropped below my standard at the Dogs and I wasn’t happy with myself.
“The truth is there was no payout. I didn’t get a cent from the Dogs.
“I don’t care if people think I’m money hungry. I got to move back to Brisbane and box and the Dogs had $750,000 to play with.
“I think it was a fair deal in the end.”
Pangai has resurrected his NRL career at Redcliffe but will depart the club at season’s end to join French Super League outfit Catalans on a one-year contract.
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett said Pangai had found his feet back in the NRL following his brief dalliance with boxing.
“I’m really pleased for him,” he said.
“He’s a young man and Catalans is a good club.
“He’s got his head back on his shoulder and knows what he wants now. He wants to play rugby league. He can come back and play in Australia at a later date.
“He is a pretty switched on guy. It’s good for him at this time of his life. He’s got a young family.
“The (Super) league is pretty tough among the top teams and I’m sure he’ll enjoy his time there.
“I’m sure the (Dolphins) would have liked him to stay here but he wants to go there.”
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