Rival NRL clubs circle off-contract Broncos props Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai Jr

THE Broncos are facing a $1 million battle to retain boom props Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai Jr as the duo’s explosive start to the NRL season has attracted the attention of rival clubs.

Brisbane have finally found a powerful pairing but can they keep them? (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

THE Broncos are facing a $1 million battle to retain boom props Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai Jr in the wake of the dynamic duo’s explosive start to the NRL season.

Lodge and Pangai Jr collectively boast just 50 NRL matches, but have defied critics to cement themselves as Brisbane’s starting front-rowers.

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Brisbane have finally found a powerful pairing but can they keep them? (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Coach Wayne Bennett has been searching for props to lead Brisbane’s engine room like Origin stars Shane Webcke and Petero Civoniceva did in the club’s last premiership season in 2006.

Bennett may have finally found the right duo in Lodge and Pangai Jr, however he now faces a battle to keep them in Broncos colours.

Lodge and Pangai Jr, both 22, are off-contract this season and have attracted significant interest from rival clubs.

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The Knights have publicly declared they are keen to lure Pangai Jr home to Newcastle while Penrith boss Phil Gould has set his sights on bringing Lodge, a Panthers junior, back to the foot of the Blue Mountains.

The rise of Lodge, playing on a minimum wage this season, and Pangai Jr could see them demand salaries in excess of $500,000-a-year on the open market.

Broncos captain Darius Boyd said the duo had the potential to be Brisbane’s starting props for the next decade.

Pangai Jnr has made a big impression. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

“Tevita has been our best player in the first few rounds,” Boyd told The Courier-Mail.

“With all the (off-field) things Lodgey has had to deal with, he is getting better every week and will keep improving.

“They are both young guys and could be the Broncos front row for the next eight-to-10 years.

“It’s a business, we all know that. They are not Queenslanders, and probably have aspirations to go home eventually.

“Hopefully we can keep them around for a few years longer.”

Lodge controversies haven’t put clubs off. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Pangai Jr, still a novice of only 35 NRL games, made an outstanding start to the season with a particularly impressive performance in Brisbane’s Round 2 win against the Cowboys.

The Tongan Test star will miss Sunday’s derby against the Titans at Suncorp Stadium because of a hamstring injury and will be replaced in the starting side by Korbin Sims, who is also chasing a new contract at the Broncos.

Lodge’s ability has never been in doubt. (Matt King/Getty Images)

Lodge, who spent more than two years out of the NRL, ran for 145m and made 25 tackles in last Friday’s golden point win against former club Wests Tigers.

While six NRL rivals are believed to have expressed interest in Lodge, one club that will not be pursuing the controversial forward is the Titans.

Lodge has been a public relations nightmare for the Broncos following his New York rampage in 2015 and allegations of domestic violence.

New Titans coach Garth Brennan coached Lodge in the Panthers juniors but said he would not look to bring him to the Gold Coast.

“I like Matt but there’s some things at the Titans I need to be aware of,” Brennan said.

“We’ve had our issues in the past with some players getting in trouble and as a club we want to be seen as more squeaky clean.

“The owners have a big feeling about that. They don’t want to take any risks at the moment, the club has had scandals in the past, so we want to steer clear of that.”

Pangai Jr is a chance of returning in Saturday week’s clash against the Knights in Newcastle.