Tevita Pangai Jr smashed by critics after dangerous contact charge
It seems some Brisbane fans have little sympathy for Tevita Pangai Jr’s past after his late hit on Cowboys centre Justin O’Neill earned him social media ire and a four-match suspension.
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Brisbane forward Tevita Pangai Jr is under pressure to change his ways or risk his NRL career in the wake of his latest moment of madness, which has wiped him out for a month.
Pangai has come under attack from angry Broncos fans after the back-row firebrand was levelled with a dangerous contact charge arising from Brisbane’s defeat of the Cowboys on Friday night.
Returning from his five-game suspension last year, Pangai Jr was in hot water again after just two minutes, clocking Cowboys centre Justin O’Neill with a late swinging arm while he was on the ground.
Pangai will miss Brisbane’s next four matches afer he on Sunday entered an early guilty plea for the high shot.
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The NRL match-review committee threw the book at Pangai Jr following Friday’s match, levelling a grade-two dangerous-contact charge – his fourth in the past two years.
Pangai Jr is at the crossroads.
For all his sublime talent, the hard-running Test star will become a liability if he keeps getting suspended and his future in the NRL will be jeopardised unless he learns how to control his aggression.
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Broncos fans ripped into Pangai Jr on social media, with one supporter summing up the wider frustration when he said: “I say this as a Broncos member – he is the dumbest player to ever play the game.”
It’s a harsh assessment, but demonstrates the importance of Pangai Jr staying out of trouble, especially after his otherwise barnstorming performance at North Queensland Stadium.
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Tevita Pangai cops four to six weeks. Incredibly dumb. He needs to learn real quick.
— Steve Zemek (@stevezemek) March 14, 2020
Tevita Pangai all off season: “I’ve learned my lessonâ€
— Jack Coronan (@jackkcronin) March 13, 2020
Tevita Pangai after 1 minute of the season:
pic.twitter.com/rkbFhHjoK3
After the disappointment of his early booking, Pangai Jr got on with the job and monstered the Cowboys. He made a series of bruising tackles and runs and was rewarded with the 42nd-minute try that knocked the stuffing out of the Cowboys for a crucial 18-9 lead.
With Pangai Jr set to miss the Souths clash, the Broncos will be sweating on the fitness of skipper Alex Glenn, who will slot into the back-row if he is cleared of a hamstring injury.
Broncos coach Anthony Seibold lauded Brisbane’s emphatic derby win.
“We performed really well,” he said. “We have made some considerable improvement over the pre-season and that’s what we were looking for from a physical point of view and our game model.”