NRL 2024: Tevita Pangai Jr expected to follow Wayne Bennett to South Sydney

The Dolphins offered Tevita Pangai Jr the chance to resurrect his NRL career, but the former Blues Origin forward is almost certain to leave the club in 2025.

Wayne Bennett is on the cusp of taking another Dolphins player to Redfern with NRL comeback kid Tevita Pangai Jr considering a move to South Sydney next year.

The Dolphins are at long odds to retain Pangai Jr beyond the end of this season after offering the former Bronco a chance to resurrect his NRL career.

Pangai Jr will make his fifth appearance for the Dolphins when he starts in the front row in Sunday’s clash with the Titans at Suncorp Stadium.

The former NSW Origin prop has injected some size and punch into the Dolphins’ front row since abandoning a boxing career to return to the NRL following his short-lived “retirement” from Canterbury at the end of last season.

But Pangai Jr’s Redcliffe renaissance could soon be over, with the 28-year-old expected to follow coach Bennett to the Rabbitohs next season.

Tevita Pangai Junior has shown promising signs since returning to the NRL. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Dolphins forward Euan Aitken has already signed with Souths and Pangai Jr could be the next to follow the super coach to Redfern as Bennett embarks on a three-year stint in charge of the Rabbitohs.

Pangai Jr quit Canberra in 2015 to join Bennett at the Broncos and that long relationship is set to continue.

Bennett has also offered him a chance to revive his NRL career after the Broncos rejected Pangai Jr’s proposal to return to Red Hill this year.

Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said the club had not reached an agreement to retain Pangai Jr.

“I wouldn’t say everything’s ticked off,” he said when asked if an extension was close to being reached.

“We’ve got a salary cap and maximum amount of spots. There’s a lot to go through before we get to the end of what that might look like.

“It was all about Tevita deciding he wanted to be a footballer again. Wayne told him that.

“Tevita has done a fair bit in the game and as he said, he was only out for a year. His biggest thing was showing everyone he wants to be a footballer and letting his football do the talking.

“His attitude has been great and he’s making sure he’s doing his talking on the football field.”

Wayne Bennett and Pangai Jr have a long history. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Despite not completing an NRL pre-season and only playing limited minutes in the Hostplus Cup, Pangai Jr has been a handy addition to the Dolphins since his signing last month.

He has provided some spark in a front row missing Queensland Origin enforcer Tom Flegler (shoulder) and there have been glimpses of the brilliance he is capable of.

Pangai Jr charged for 126m from 13 carries in last week’s golden point loss to Penrith and could play a pivotal role in helping the Dolphins to a maiden NRL finals appearance this season.

Dolphins fitness chief Jeremy Hickmans said Pangai Jr wasn’t at his peak, but was quickly catching up.

“Tevita is the first to say his fitness isn’t at the top level at the moment,” he said.

“But coming in at this time of the year, he is as good as he can be. He is pretty capable of playing footy, so he knows what he has to do and just has to build his fitness.

“He didn’t do a pre-season, he has had that boxing and time away from footy so we’re getting what we can out of him.”