NRL 2020: Tevita Pangai fined, sacked by Brisbane Broncos, snubbed by Roosters

Brisbane Broncos star Tevita Pangai Jr has been indefinitely stood down and fined by the NRL after breaching the league’s biosecurity rules.

Gone.

Tevita Pangai Jr has copped a mammoth $30,000 fine and been stood down indefinitely by the NRL for his biosecurity breaches.

The NRL released a statement on Wednesday afternoon confirming Pangai Jr had failed to comply with the code’s biosecurity protocols.

“The notice alleges multiple breaches by Pangai Junior of the protocols over a period of time,” the statement read.

“The notice directs that Pangai Junior be excluded from the Broncos’ bubble and any NRL match day until such time that he can satisfy the NRL that he will comply with all biosecurity protocols.

“It also proposes Pangai Junior be fined $30,000.”

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Acting NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo condemned Pangai Jr for blatantly disregarding the league’s COVID-19 rules.

“We believe this was a case of a player committing multiple contraventions of the protocols and showing a disregard for the league’s rules,’’ Abdo said.

“We will do everything we can to protect our season. Players or officials who show they are unable to comply with the biosecurity protocols will be removed from club bubbles until we are satisfied that they will comply with the protocols. We believe in this case, Tevita has not been able to do that.”

“This decision protects the health of our playing squads and most importantly the general community.

“I want to reiterate that the overwhelming majority of players and officials are doing the right thing and we thank them for that. Where there are breaches of protocols we will take immediate action to ensure no risk of infection.”

Brisbane Broncos player Tevita Pangai Junior.

The Roosters have ruled out making a play for Pangai Jr as the Brisbane Broncos prepare to tear up his contract over his COVID-19 protocols breach.

Pangai Jr was earlier this week stood down by the Broncos for two weeks after he was sprung at a barber shop which has links to the Mongols bikie gang when police arrived to conduct a search of the premises on Sunday.

By being there, the 24-year-old was breaking the NRL’s strict biosecurity measures, which essentially limit players to their homes unless travelling to and from games and training.

The Courier Mail reports CCTV from the barber shop proves Pangai did not even get a haircut, and shows him gifting a signed Broncos jersey to a friend.

The Brisbane Broncos board has reportedly decided that Pangai’s allegedly deliberate and flagrant attempt to ignore the biosecurity rules constitutes grounds to rip up his contract and issue the 24-year-old a breach notice.

Last week Pangai was reportedly shopping himself around to other clubs — including the Roosters — but in another blow for the young forward, tricolours coach Trent Robinson said this morning the club has no interest in signing him.

“He won’t be at the Roosters,” Robinson said. “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.”

The Courier Mail first reported Pangai’s barber shop drama on Tuesday afternoon with the newspaper reporting Pangai’s $650,000 per-season deal will be terminated when the Broncos pull the pin in coming days.

The report outlines the Broncos have given Pangai five days to respond to the breach notice to show cause for why his contract, which runs through to the end of the 2022 NRL season, should not be terminated.

However, the Broncos on Tuesday afternoon responded to the swirling reports by denying the club has already made a definitive decision to rip up Pangai’s contract.

Tevita Pangai was supposed to be the Broncos’ own version of Jason Taumalolo.

“The club is still finalising its investigation into Tevita Pangai Junior’s breach of Project Apollo protocols,” the statement read.

“The final determination of any sanction has not been made at this time.”

The termination is now expected to become a legal matter, according to Channel 7 Brisbane reporter Chris Garry.

“Broncos will issue a statement shortly saying no decision has been made regarding Pangai and their investigations continue,” Garry posted earlier on Twitter.

“However, I understand a breach notice is imminent and he’s set to be sacked. This will get very lawyer-heavy.”

The Courier-Mail’s senior sports reporter Robert Craddock told Fox Sports News on Tuesday evening the Broncos are privately “furious” with their wayward star.

“The Broncos have basically had enough of him. So they’ve decided to sack him,” Craddock said.

“I feel there is more at play here. Obviously they were deeply frustrated with him last week when he spoke to Rooster benefactor Nick Politis about a possible club switch. That hurts a club’s fabric to the core.”

He went on to say Pangai’s poor discipline on and off the field in recent seasons, which includes being suspended for 14 games since the start of the 2019 season, has resulted in the Broncos concluding Pangai is a “selfish” player.

“The club was furious. I tell you what, they were actively hostile over his actions on the weekend,” he said.

“This was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

According to widespread reports, Pangai is also facing an NRL fine of up to $40,000 for his barber shop blunder.

The Broncos were just last week embroiled in the messy standing down own of three members of the club’s coaching staff, including Alfie Langer, with the NRL issuing all three coaches individual $5000 fines for attending the club legend’s birthday bash at the notorious Caxton Hotel.

It comes just 12 months since he re-signed with the Broncos through to the end of the 2022 season on a three-year deal reported at the time to be worth around $2 million.

Sacked.

The Broncos’ dramatic move comes after the NRL’s August 3 trade deadline has already passed — meaning Pangai Jr will have to sit out the rest of the season even if he is snapped up by a rival club immediately.

The Tongan international was last week reported to have put himself on the open market after making contact with several clubs, including figures linked to the Roosters.

Pangai’s backflip on his own club was first reported by Fox League’s James Hooper on NRL 360, where it was revealed Pangai himself has made contact with rival clubs, despite being under contract for more than two years.

“It came up that Tevita Pangai has been picking up the phone personally and ringing a number of figures in the game and essentially shopping himself around to find a different club for next season,” Hooper said.

Pangai admitted on Instagram to having made contact with Roosters supremo Nick Politis.

Garry also reported the Broncos’ decision to sack Pangai Jr is partly motivated by his rogue contact with rival clubs.

“Bronco Pangai Jnr’s contract to be torn up after he breached COVID rules deliberately,” Garry posted on Twitter.

“Broncos board decided the flagrant act is enough to cancel his contract with the club. Comes on the back of him talking to Nick Politis. They’ve had enough.”

The Broncos released a statement on Sunday, saying: “Brisbane Broncos player Tevita Pangai Junior has been stood down for 14 days after breaching Project Apollo protocols.

“The club has been informed that he attended the opening of a barber shop yesterday, in breach of the protocols.

“He has been placed on a ‘COVID Hold’ and will undergo testing, while spending 14 days in self-isolation as the NRL continues to examine details of the breach.

“The Broncos are investigating the circumstances around the matter to determine what further action may be taken.”