NRL 2024 market watch: Tevita Pangai Jr must quit boxing to return to Brisbane Broncos

If Tevita Pangai Jr wants to return to the Broncos, he’ll have to hang up the gloves for good first. Plus, the Cowboys are set to re-sign one of the most in-demand forwards in the NRL on a $2 million extension.

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki. Picture: NRL Photos

The Broncos have no interest in signing Tevita Pangai Jr unless the NRL defector quits boxing and pursues a fulltime rugby league comeback.

Brisbane’s 38-12 derby demolition of the Cowboys on Good Friday has given coach Kevin Walters faith that his current squad of Broncos players has the ability to help the club redeem last year’s heartbreaking grand final loss to Penrith

The Broncos are still on the hunt for a backrower to add depth to their list, particularly following Brendan Piakura’s ankle injury this week which will sideline the rising edge forward for about a month.

They’ve had a crack at signing North Queensland’s Jack Gosiewski and made enquiries with other potential targets, but won’t be taking risks and rushing to offer Pangai Jr a contract despite the former NSW Origin forward’s desperation to return to Red Hill.

Pangai Jr, 28, has been vocal about his desire to make an NRL comeback with the Broncos after walking away from the Bulldogs last year to pursue a professional boxing career.

Tevita Pangai Jr has to quit boxing if he wants any chance of an NRL comeback with the Broncos. Picture: Blair Jackson.

However a lacklustre 26-minute cameo for Souths-Logan in round 1 of the Hostplus Cup did little to impress influential figures at the Broncos.

On the back of no pre-season rugby league training, Pangai Jr is at long odds to be handed an NRL lifeline by the Broncos this year and his only hope is to abandon boxing and commit to a comeback through reserve grade.

The controversies Pangai Jr was involved in during his 96-game stint with the Broncos from 2016-21, which saw him go close to being sacked, also haven’t been forgotten by those in charge.

Dragons recruit Jaiyden Hunt made a fist of the left back row spot in his club debut against the Cowboys and Walters said Brisbane’s best performance of the season reinforced the faith he has in his squad.

Tevita Pangai Jr has been speculated to return to Brisbane. Pic NRL Photos.

“It certainly did,” he said.

“We’ve been waiting for that performance over the opening three rounds for different reasons.

“Watching Penrith (win 22-16 on Thursday night) put a bit of a score on the Roosters made me think I was maybe judging them (Broncos) a bit harshly given the way Penrith are going.

“It’s about us and we showed the resolve with our defence, which was really impressive. Also playing football that’s good to watch.

“We capitalised on some scoring opportunities that pushed the score out a bit for us.”

The Broncos have 28 players signed to their top 30, giving them flexibility to bring in some new faces before the mid-season recruitment deadline.

But it was a much-improved performance against the Cowboys and captain Adam Reynolds is hoping they can back it up on Thursday night when they face the Storm in Melbourne.

“I liked the way everyone got on and did their own job,” he said.

“We don’t ask too much of certain players to go out and do different things. Everyone’s got a clear role to play in this team.

“We did that exceptionally well (against the Cowboys). There’s patches where we could have been better, but it’s the coach’s job to look at that on video and work on it during the week.”

COWBOYS SET TO WIN $2M BIDDING WAR

The Cowboys have struck a major retention coup with boom back-rower Heilum Luki set to reject massive offers from NRL rivals and ink a $2 million extension with North Queensland.

This masthead can reveal Luki is poised to take up a player option and sign an upgraded deal in a huge boost for the Cowboys following Friday night’s dismal 38-12 loss to the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.

The Cowboys are under siege for their forward talent, with NRL rivals attempting to entice Luki and young gun Kulikefu Finefeuiaki with offers of up to $800,000 a season.

The Dolphins have tabled a three-year deal for Finefeuiaki worth an estimated $1.8 million, while Luki recently toured St George Illawarra’s facilities - triggering fears the Queensland Origin hopeful could leave Townsville.

But the Cowboys are confident they have got their man in Luki.

Rated a future Maroons superstar, the 22-year-old has indicated he will take up an option in his favour for 2025, while the Cowboys are in the advanced stages of talks on a multi-year extension.

Heilum Luki is set to reject the Dragons despite touring their facilities. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

The Cowboys last year staved off poaching bids for fellow young guns Jeremiah Nanai and Tom Dearden and coach Todd Payten is closing in on Luki’s signature.

“I think he will stay,” Payten said in the wake of the Cowboys’ first loss of the season against an Adam Reynolds-inspired Broncos.

“We’re very optimistic something will be done soon.

“We have put a lot of time and effort into Heilum and we’re confident he will stay.

“It’s a good sign for the club and the environment we have created.

“Playing for our club means something for our local juniors like Jeremiah and Heilum and hopefully we build off the back of that.”

Luki is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, continuing a horrendous run of setbacks for the Cairns product, who tore his ACL and underwent a knee reconstruction in 2022.

The athletic back-rower has played 40 games since his NRL debut in 2021 and Payten is adamant Luki is not injury prone.

“He can’t continue on like this, the luck will turn,” he said.

The Dolphins have tabled a massive deal for Kulikefu Finefeuiaki. Picture: NRL Photos

“The ACL was a major one but the other injuries were not too significant and to be fair not a real fault of his own.

“Heilum has had a tough couple of years, he has done his ACL, hamstring and fractured his cheekbone and now has a syndesmosis, he needs a turn of luck but we’re showing faith in him.

“He is diligent with his off-field stuff, he has a tremendous amount of ability and we have only scratched the surface of his talent.

“He will get through it. We will see the best out of him over the next year or two.”

Luki’s impending new deal could have repercussions for keeping Finefeuiaki, the 20-year-old wrecking ball who is keen to establish himself as a regular NRL starter.

The Dolphins are one of several clubs going hard for the Tongan torpedo but Payten is refusing to give up hope of retaining the off-contract Finefeuiaki.

“We’re going to be in there swinging for ‘Kuli’,” Payten said.

“We won’t be the highest bidder, but that has been the case with kids like Jeremiah and Heilum and they have stayed.

“The decision will come down to Kuli, but he is developing nicely and he punched out some good minutes against the Broncos, so hopefully we can get his deal done as well.”