Sport Confidential: Bulldogs make play for Broncos star Tevita Pangai Jnr, catch in Dragons three-week deal
It is the short-team deal that has drawn criticism from rivals, but there is a condition working in Jamayne Taunoa-Brown’s favour.
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The Bulldogs have tabled a three-year offer for Tevita Pangai Jnr, but that does not mean his Brisbane Broncos career is over. Meanwhile, the Tigers are considering again making a play.
Canterbury are keen on signing the out of favour Pangai Jnr - just not for this year. While both parties are working towards getting a deal done, there is no urgency from the Bulldogs who are happy for Pangai Jnr to see out the season at Brisbane before joining them next year.
He would arrive at Belmore alongside high-profile recruits Josh Addo-Carr and Matt Burton, with the trio giving the club some genuine star power. The Tigers had gone cold on Pangai Jnr but it is understood that situation may have changed. They would want Pangai Jnr immediately.
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One club who has no interest in Pangai Jnr’s services is St George Illawarra despite the departure of Paul Vaughan.
The Bulldogs and the Dragons have been having discussions about a deal involving veteran centre Will Hopoate. Apparently it was all but done but the recent off-field distractions at St George Illawarra have caused a delay and a potential rethink of priorities.
There is some thought the clubs may be open to a Hopoate/Matt Dufty trade. But the Bulldogs are yet to decide if Dufty is their man long-term.
As for Pangai, he is serving a three-match suspension and will be eligible for selection for Brisbane’s round 20 clash against the Cowboys in the Queensland derby at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, July 30.
That happens to be just a day before the August 1 mid-season trade deadline. Once his long-term future is sorted, you get the sense talks could shift to an immediate move.
What it took for unique deal to be signed off
The unique three-game deal between the Dragons and Jamayne Taunoa-Brown comes with one catch from the Warriors – he must play every week.
Despite drawing criticism from some NRL rivals, the two clubs agreed to the arrangement on Thursday afternoon which will enable the Warriors prop to join St George Illawarra next week.
The deal will be for only three matches before he returns to the Warriors prior to the August 1 deadline. And it comes under the proviso the Warriors aren’t struck by major injuries or suspensions following their clash against Cronulla on Sunday.
Because the NRL has scrapped its loan system – which was only introduced last season – the Warriors need to terminate Taunoa-Brown’s deal before he can join the Dragons.
The Dragons will then have to release him before August 1 so he can re-join the Warriors to see out his contract.
The Warriors were keen to get the deal done because their players are unable to travel to Queensland to play in the Queensland Cup. The NSW reserve grade competition is suspended.
The short deal will allow Taunoa-Brown some much needed game time.
He will line up for a weakened Dragons side to play Manly, Gold Coast and South Sydney – barring injury or suspension.
The Dragons are now on the lookout to secure a middle player immediately. One player they won’t entertain is Andrew Fifita despite flirting with the prospect of signing the Sharks veteran earlier this year.
The Dragons were still awaiting clearance from the NRL to have their full squad return to training. It is understood they needed one final Covid-19 result from one of the suspended players so they can join the rest of the squad and re-enter the bubble.
South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett confirmed Jaydn Su’A had agreed to join the Dragons for three years.
“South Sydney couldn’t offer him another contract under the salary cap, so I’m pleased he’s got another club,” Bennett said. “He’s happy with the deal, he spoke to me about it and I’m happy for him.”
Tim Tszyu attracting big-name attention
Englishman Liam Smith phoned boxing promoter Matt Rose immediately after Tim Tszyu’s knockout victory against Steve Spark last Wednesday night, and a September showdown is looming large.
Smith, who went nine rounds with pound-for-pound king Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2016 and is ranked No.5 by the WBO in the super-welterweight division, is seen as the next best thing if Tszyu can’t get a world title fight next.
Tszyu and Smith traded words on social media on Thursday, each willing the fight to be made. But it was Smith’s conversation with boxing orchestrater Rose that has had the biggest impact.
The super-welterweight division will be unified next weekend when WBC, WBA and IBF champion Jermell Charlo fights WBO champion Brian Castano.
Tszyu is among three fighters in the mix to be next in line, but Rose is planning for a scenario that the undefeated Aussie will be overlooked, so is planning a mid-September bout against former world champion Smith in Australia.
Crucially, Smith’s camp has agreed to quarantine for 14 days if they’re offered a Hollywood-style mansion instead of the usual hotel rooms. Rose can provide that.
Smith, 32, has a 29-3-1 (16KO) record, with his defeats coming to Alvarez and undefeated world champion Jaime Munguia, while in his previous bout he suffered a hotly disputed decision to Magomed Kurbanov in Russia.
Tszyu (19-0, 15KO) wants to fight Smith, Kurbanov, and the winner of Charlo-Castano.
A fight against Kurbanov could be made in Russia, given Tszyu’s own links.
And he’s also keen to fight Danny Garcia, who is moving up in weight, in the United States.
But none of that concerned Tszyu on Thursday as he celebrated his third round win with a brunch of bacon and hash browns, having lived largely on a diet of black rice and fish for the 10 weeks leading up to his bout.
Special package awaits Wallabies star
Marika Koroibete should be able to see his newborn son when the team flies to Melbourne on Sunday despite the Wallabies being in a Covid bubble.
Koroibete’s wife Emma gave birth to the couple’s third child, Immanuel, on Wednesday in Melbourne, hours before he played in Australia’s thrilling victory over France in Brisbane.
Koroibete had asked Emma if she wanted him by her side but she insisted he remain with the team and endured the labor by herself.
Now, with the Wallabies heading to Melbourne this weekend for the second Test at AAMI Park next Tuesday, Koroibete is hopeful of meeting Immanuel.
Under the team’s Covid bubble in Sanctuary Cove, no visitors were allowed in and no players allowed out. All players and staff are also tested every three days.
While Victoria has named Sanctuary Cove as an “orange zone” and would ordinarily restrict travel, the fact Koroibete has remained in the bubble since before the Queensland outbreak, he should be approved to visit his baby boy.
Koroibete spent four months away from his family, including sons Iliesa and Isaiah, last year when Melbourne’s lockdown forced the Rebels to relocate to NSW.
Streaming service packs real punch
Having secured the rights to Australian football, Ten’s streaming service Paramount+ is quietly exploring adding boxing to the mix.
Executives have made inquiries with local boxing identities, joining Stan Sport, who are negotiating with promoters and managers to potentially set up their own boxing shows to rival Fox Sports, Kayo and Main Event.
Paramount+ recently purchased the rights to the A-League, W-League, and with Ten will show Socceroos and Matildas games, in a deal worth $200 million over five years.
Teddy reveals major injury battle
NSW captain James Tedesco is confident he won’t need the bum-bag-type protection around his hip for Origin III after revealing he had 75 millimetres of fluid drained out from his hip in recent weeks.
Tedesco has played on with the pain but is confident the hip injury has slowly improved. He needed a painkilling injection to play before game two.
“It was about protecting it and it worked,” Tedesco said. “If I got another knock I would’ve struggled to cover. After every game it’s got better.
“I had 75 millimetres drained out of it the first time and then after we played Penrith I had 25 millimetres. After Origin it as just 10.
“The swelling was really bad.”
The guard was even more noticeable in the Blues jersey because of Brad Fittler’s desire to have the players wear the tightest jersey possible.
“They are skin tight,” Tedesco said. “It works, I break some tackles in them.”
Manly reward veteran with new deal
Kieran Foran has celebrated his return as a Sea Eagle with a new one-year deal.
Manly have decided to take up the option on Foran for next season given how well he has returned since rejoining the club this year.
Foran, 30, returned to Manly this year after stints at Parramatta, Warriors and Canterbury. He captained them in their clash against Canberra on Thursday night.
New NRL 360 host gets the scoop
Yvonne Sampson hasn’t taken long to get her feet under the desk at NRL 360.
In just her second week as the new co-host, Sampson secured the interview of the year when she convinced Paul Vaughan to appear on the show.
The interview with Sampson and Paul Kent came just hours after his sacking by the Dragons, with his raw emotion making for compelling viewing.
“Every news outlet was camped out the front of Vaughan’s house but Vonnie got the scoop through good old fashioned journalism,” Fox Sports executive editor Luke McIlveen said.
“It showed what a first-class operator she is.”
Bulldogs reward ‘immense influence on team’
Ava Seumanufagai would have been wearing a different kind of blue had Canterbury not offered him a lifeline earlier this year. The 30-year-old prop was on the verge of quitting professional rugby league to join the police force.
Instead he gave it one last crack. Now Seumanufagai has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension and promoted to Canterbury’s leadership team.
Not bad for someone who was unsure if there was a place for him back in the NRL when he returned from the Super League with no contract at the end of last season.
“I always thought I had a few years left but I just needed an opportunity,” Seumanufagai said.
“If you told me at the start of February that I would already have a two-year deal I thought that would’ve been a long shot.
“At the start of my career and the first couple of years, I took being able to play NRL for granted. Having a stint away and having a stint being unemployed, I take nothing for granted. I might be tired or sore but I count my lucky stars when I wake up and I am so grateful. I have been on the other side and I know what it’s like.”
Seumanufagai’s club debut in round seven against Cronulla reduced coach Trent Barrett to tears. Bulldogs boss Aaron Warburton said Seumanufagai’s impact at the club was immense.
“He has impressed a lot of people,” Warburton said. “Everything he does is for the betterment of the team. It’s on and off the field.
“He has an ability to lift the room.”
Townsend Sharks reunion on hold
Chad Townsend’s shoulder injury did something the Sharks could not – stop him from lining up against Cronulla. Well before he was ruled out of playing against his former club on Sunday, Cronulla tried to ensure Townsend did not play.
“It was discussed in the negotiations,” Townsend said.
“Myself, my management and the Warriors were keen for that not to happen. There were talks back and forth between the two clubs and they sorted it out.”
As chance may have it, Townsend injured his shoulder in the opening minutes for the Warriors last Friday, which has ruled him out for at least a week. He is hopeful of squaring up against the Sharks when the teams clash again in round 21 with a potential top eight spot on the line.
Huge ban for unsavoury incident
Kenny Edwards has been suspended for 10-matches after putting his finger in the bum of an opponent in the English Super League.
The ex-Eels back-rower was playing for Huddersfield when he was charged for the incident on Catalans prop Sam Kasiano. Edwards is a former teammate of Kasiano.
ALL EYES ON
Trent Barrett has had to recall four of the Bulldogs ‘Bondi five’. What sort of performance will those guys put in against the Roosters? They owe their teammates plenty.
FRIDAY FLASHBACK
Panthers caretaker coach Steve Georgallis has revealed he was ‘‘shattered’’ upon learning he would be replaced after a one-week audition on this day 10 years ago. Georgallis assumed he had the rest of 2011 to prove himself until Penrith poached Warriors coach Ivan Cleary on a three-year deal.
THAT ORIGIN MOMENT
Adam Mogg two games for Queensland in 2006
Two tries and a blistering victory. It was a dream debut for Adam Mogg who played his first game on the wing for Queensland in game two of the 2006 series.
The Blues had won the opener thanks to a Brett Finch field goal. With Greg Inglis sidelined because of a hamstring injury, the Maroons called on Mogg who was in good club form for the Raiders.
“I was on the training field at the Raiders when (chief executive) Donny Furner came over to tell me,” Mogg said. “I was stoked. I had been in an emerging Queensland side and always hoped one day I’d get the opportunity.”
The parochial NSW press poked fun at Mogg’s selection. ‘Adam Who’ were the headlines but the then 28-year-old was unperturbed by the talk from south of the border.
“I was a little bit aware of it but I’m not one to chase the press or that type of thing,” Mogg said. “It didn’t bother me. I remember getting into camp and getting swamped by reporters.
“Ben Ikin was the Queensland media manager and he handled the situation well. I felt comfortable and it took the pressure off me.
“I’ve never read the headlines but that game goes down in history. I’m fortunate when I look back that we won the series and it’s remembered for one of those reasons.”
Mogg had the last laugh against a doubting NSW, public scoring two second half tries as the Maroons embarrassed NSW 30-6 at Suncorp Stadium in near man of the match performance.
“I was living my dream,” Mogg said. “The players today talk about match payments but there would be two million people that would play for free in Queensland and I was one of those guys.
“I remember the whole team played really well. NSW had a far superior team on paper. I knew before we left the sheds we were going to get them.
“I had a good game but everyone had a good game. I was lucky enough to score a couple of tries. I could’ve scored one or two others had the pass gone to me.
“It wasn’t necessarily the best game of my career but the best team performance I’ve been part of.”
Mogg scored a try in game three which Maroons won 16-14 to clinch the series.
Originally published as Sport Confidential: Bulldogs make play for Broncos star Tevita Pangai Jnr, catch in Dragons three-week deal
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