NRL 2024: Bulldogs clear the air for Tevita Pangai Jr to make Broncos comeback
The Bulldogs have spoken out about Tevita Pangai Jr’s shock NRL return amid revelations that the boxing convert is plotting a Broncos comeback in 2024.
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The Bulldogs have cleared the air for Tevita Pangai Jr to make a shock return to the NRL amid the revelation that the boxing convert is plotting a Broncos comeback in 2024.
As first revealed by The Daily Telegraph last Wednesday, Pangai Jr has held informal talks with Brisbane bosses to explore the prospect of a comeback to rugby league, just six months after he quit the Bulldogs to pursue a career in boxing.
Brisbane has not tabled a deal at this stage, but Pangai Jr has met with key club identities with a view to wearing Broncos colours this season.
It is understood Pangai Jr plans to emulate rugby league legend-turned-prize-fighter by juggling the high-level demands of NRL with his ambitions in boxing.
Pangai Jr made the stunning call last year to quit the Bulldogs and walk away from an $800,000 deal, in the same year that he represented NSW at State of Origin.
The shock development of Pangai Jr’s interest in returning to the Broncos has led to questions that the Bulldogs have been left high and dry, particularly with the shortage of depth in their forward pack.
It has been suggested that the Bulldogs would have rights to protest to the NRL about the Broncos deal going ahead.
The nature of Pangai Jr’s swift departure from Belmore, originally to chase his boxing dream, has been compounded by the reneging of a deal for former Roosters prop Sio Siua Taukeiaho and in addition, the news that front-rower Ryan Sutton is out of action for the next eight to 10 weeks following knee surgery.
However, Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton has broken the club’s silence by declaring they have no intention of standing in Pangai Jr’s way to join Brisbane.
“Tevita parted ways with the Bulldogs on extremely good terms,” Warburton said.
“We wish nothing but the best for Tevita and his family for their future.”
Pangai Jr has inked a two-fight deal and will return to the ring in March.
He then hopes to link with the Broncos in June or July for a late-season cameo, just as he did with Penrith in its charge to the NRL title in 2021.
Pangai Jr spent six seasons at the Broncos before being released in 2021 due to salary-cap pressures and he set tongues wagging last week by making a surprise appearance as a spectator at Brisbane training.
After quitting the Bulldogs, the former Tongan Test ace returned to live in Brisbane to ramp up his boxing career and maintains close friendships with Broncos stars Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan.
The proposed return of Pangai Jr would inject Origin-quality firepower to a Brisbane side on the cusp of a premiership breakthrough after last season’s heartbreaking last-minute loss to Penrith in the grand final.
The Broncos’ grand-final squad has been decimated in the off-season, losing four players from their top 17 in the NRL decider – Dolphins defectors Tom Flegler and Herbie Farnworth, Keenan Palasia (Titans) and vice-captain Kurt Capewell (Warriors).
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