Roosters coach says they won’t look at Tevita Pangai Jr
He’ll be sought after on the open market after having his contract torn up by the Broncos, but Tevita Pangai Jr won’t be playing at the one club many pundits linked him to earlier in the season.
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Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson says the back-to-back champions have no interest in signing unwanted Brisbane forward Tevita Pangai Jr.
Pangai Jr is expected to part ways with the Broncos and his $650,000 a year contract after he breached the club’s COVID bubble by attending a barber shop opening over the weekend.
The Tongan star has been linked with the Roosters on numerous occasions, including as recently as last week when he reportedly shopped himself to Tricolours chairman Nick Politis.
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But Robinson said the Roosters won’t be signing Pangai Jr, declaring that the troubled prop doesn’t suit the Bondi-based club’s culture.
“No, he won’t be at the Roosters,” Robinson said about Pangai Jr, who won’t play again until 2021 because the NRL’s transfer deadline passed on August 3.
“I don’t know what’s going on up there, but we’ve worked really hard - as you can see - for the type of player that we want.
“And he’s not going to fit that mould.”
Who will take the out of favour Bronco?
Cashed-up clubs including St George Illawarra, the Warriors and Canterbury will be the frontrunners to land Tevita Pangai Jr.
The three clubs are on the lookout for a marquee forward and Pangai Jr fits the bill.
But just because they are the clubs with the most money to spend, they won’t be the only ones thinking about pursuing Pangai Jr in the next few days. When someone like the 24-year-old suddenly comes onto the player market, there is usually a ripple effect.
The four reasons the Broncos tore up Tevita Pangai Jr’s contract. https://t.co/lS4Vvm6RfQ @travismeyn @badel_cmail pic.twitter.com/01SlYGcnvz
— Courier Mail Sport (@cmail_sport) August 11, 2020
Clubs will make space and clear the decks if they think they can land Pangai Jr and that will have a flow-on impact on contracted players. The Tongan international’s alleged association with a bikie gang in Queensland won’t put clubs off from trying to sign him.
The last time he was off contract he was linked to a move to the Rabbitohs before re-signing with the Broncos for three years. He is just one year into that deal worth about $650,000.
And in more recent days he has confessed to calling Roosters boss Nick Politis but Pangai Jr said it was nothing more than a personal catch-up.
The Warriors have gone hard after Pangai Jr before and so too the Knights but he opted to remain in Brisbane.
New Zealand has the most cash to splash and have made it known it wants to firm their up its forward pack up by chasing Kane Evans, Jack de Belin and Adam Elliott. Potentially they could even seek an immediate “loan” of Pangai Jr if the NRL and Pangai Jr were open to it.
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Pangai Jr has been discussed by the Bulldogs in recent weeks as they look to replace Corey Harawira-Naera and potentially Elliott.
Elliott wants to decide his future in the coming days and is considering a move to either the Warriors or Dragons should he leave Belmore.
The Dragons also want to sign a representative forward given Tyson Frizell’s switch to Newcastle and James Graham to England. The Dragons have spoken with Storm prop Christian Welch.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy has not completely ruled out the club making a play for the axed Bronco.
“Not at the moment,” Bellamy said.
“I don’t know the actual goings on at the moment. (Heard) a little bit last night, obviously they’re looking to terminate his contract, whether that’s right or that’s wrong, I don’t know.
“If that’s the case well, I suppose we could think about it but at this stage, no.”