State of Origin 2023: How Queensland greats Wayne Bennett, Darren Lockyer and Corey Parker saved Tevita Pangai Jr’s NRL career

Tevita Pangai Jr was facing the NRL scrapheap until Wayne Bennett, Darren Lockyer and Corey Parker saved his career. Now the Queensland greats are tipping him to terrorise the Maroons.

Former Maroons coach Wayne Bennett says he’s elated for Tevita Pangai Junior after being selected to make his Origin debut for NSW. Picture: AAP.

Wayne Bennett has tipped Blues bolter Tevita Pangai Jr to terrorise the Maroons after an unlikely Queensland trio delivered NSW its latest Origin enforcer.

‘Turncoat Tevita’ has fought back from the brink of being a NSW outcast to clinch his maiden Blues jersey in Wednesday’s State of Origin series-opener in Adelaide.

Pangai Jr was once so on the nose at the Broncos in 2020 that he was facing the prospect of being sacked, let alone playing in the game’s biggest arena.

But he has fought back from those dark days at Red Hill, with Queensland figures Bennett, Darren Lockyer and Corey Parker playing key roles in his career revival.

Bennett brought Pangai Jr to the Broncos from Canberra in 2016 and coached him to a stunning start to his NRL career which saw him earn comparisons to Cowboys superstar Jason Taumalolo.

Now Bennett is tipping Pangai Jr to dominate in the Origin furnace following his shock selection for the Blues.

Tevita Pangai Junior will make his Origin debut for NSW, and some Queensland greats are backing him to terrorise the Maroons. Picture: Getty Images.

“I was absolutely elated for Tevita,” Bennett said.

“He has been an Origin player for a long, long time but has never been picked for whatever reason.

“He will be a real thorn in Queensland’s side.”

Despite being born in Sydney and eligible for NSW, Pangai Jr briefly abandoned the Blues in 2018 after deciding to dedicate his representative future to Tonga following his 2017 Test debut.

At the time he didn’t realise he could play for Tonga and NSW under the representative eligibility rules and he later infuriated the Blues when he claimed he was a Queensland supporter.

Pangai Jr’s performances for the Broncos dipped following Bennett’s sacking in 2018 and he was on the verge of being axed by Brisbane in 2020 following numerous Covid protocol breaches.

He was eventually released by the Broncos in 2021 and joined Penrith briefly before heading to Canterbury last year, where his performances have been mixed.

Pangai Jr had some huge games for the Broncos, but was ultimalety released from the club. Picture: AAP.

“It would be easy to blame Tevita, but he went through a pretty tough time at the club (Broncos), a lot of players did, after I left,” Bennett said.

“He came there because of me. If you go back to that period (2016-18) he was absolutely outstanding. He tore teams apart.

“He did things other guys can’t do, that’s his big threat. They can all run hard, but he is very capable of putting on a show.

“He sent me a nice text message (after being selected for NSW) which I really appreciated. I’m not going to tell you what the text message was about but it was a nice message.

“He is a wonderful player. He’s not different, he just needs what a lot of young men need – a bit of guidance, discipline and plenty of direction.”

As Pangai Jr faced the sack at the Broncos, he found an ally in 36-game Maroons legend Lockyer, a Brisbane board member.

Lockyer felt Pangai Jr wasn’t a lost cause and he could help get his career back on track.

Darren Lockyer wanted to help Pangai Jr, but couldn’t save his Broncos career in the end. Picture: Liam Kidston

“There’s a footy player there, no doubt about that,” said Lockyer, a Queensland selector.

“At the Broncos, I felt if we supported him, we could get the best out of Tevita and I was there to help Tevita in any way to get the best out of himself.

“There’s a lot to like about Tevita and I’m glad he has gone to the Bulldogs and got himself fit. He is playing consistent footy and he has got a reward for that.

“I have always said to Tevita, if you work hard enough and you’re willing to make some sacrifices, you will get some rewards, so I am happy that he has got that.”

After being stood down for the back end of the 2020 season by the Broncos, Pangai Jr was sent to work at a Logan garden nursery.

It was a sobering few months for the highly-paid NRL superstar and it was during that time he bonded with 347-game Broncos legend Parker, who played 19 Origins for Queensland.

“When he went through his dramas the Broncos, the reality is no-one wanted to do anything with him,” Parker said.

“He was stood down from the Broncos and through my links to the club, his boxing coach and myself tried to help turn his life around.

“At that point in time, he was working at a garden nursery up the road and training with us at 5 in the morning.

“We basically took him to areas in training where he was uncomfortable, he needed to appreciate what it felt like to be uncomfortable and appreciate what he had.

“At the time, he had a contract worth $700,000 and he was on his last legs.”

Corey Parker took Pangai Jr under his wing. Photographer: Liam Kidston

Those uncomfortable places included trail runs in the Logan forest and vomit-inducing boxing sessions.

Pangai Jr went on to play a crucial role in Penrith’s 2021 premiership charge before he missed the grand final through injury and has overcome a slow start at Canterbury to earn Origin selection.

At 27, time is on his side and Parker believes Pangai Jr will thrive in the Origin cauldron.

“He has come a long way from Daisy Hill Forest. It would be boiling hot and we’d go on 8km runs,” he said.

“One day we did a 15km run around Brisbane. He had never run that far in his life and to see him complete it and not give up showed he had that mental toughness.

“There are no sold out stadiums running with your mate in a forest on a 30-degree day.

“I’m really happy for Tevita and all the hard work he has put in to get back to Origin. His selection is a bit left-field, but when you peel the layers back in regards to what he can actually bring, it’s quite scary.

“It’s a bit of a risky move but I think it can pay off for the Blues. He can be a real weapon in Origin.”

Originally published as State of Origin 2023: How Queensland greats Wayne Bennett, Darren Lockyer and Corey Parker saved Tevita Pangai Jr’s NRL career