‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire’: Pangai Jr linked with retirement backflip to join rival club

A bombshell rumour continues to swirl around the future of Tevita Pangai Jr after his shock mid-contract exit from the Bulldogs.

NRL 2023 RD22 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Dolphins - Tevita Pangai Junior. Picture: NRL Photos

Tevita Pangai Jr has been heavily linked with a move to the Dolphins despite the Bulldogs enforcer dropping a retirement bombshell last week.

Pangai Jr stunned the rugby league world by announcing he was walking away from his $750,000 contract next season to pursue a career in professional boxing.

The 27-year-old will see out the season at Canterbury before the former Broncos player moves back to Brisbane.

Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett, who TPJ played under at the Broncos, has already said he’d welcome the front-rower at Redcliffe and now the drums are beating louder that the pair will reunite.

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Pangai Jr made his NSW debut this year and has played for Tonga where Dolphins assistant Kristian Wolf is the head coach.

Journalist Ben Dobbin said the “dots are connecting” and that “all the mail” is Pangai Jr will be playing for the Dolphins next season.

“TPJ - was a Brisbane Bronco. Grew up in Newcastle, became a Brisbane Bronco and we never saw his full potential. Kevin Walters shipped Tevita and Matt Lodge out of there because he said they were destabilising,” Dobbin said on Triple M.

“Tevita goes to Penrith, wins a grand final, he then starts at the Bulldogs, two seasons at the Bulldogs, hit and miss on $750,000 a year, retires from rugby league to take up a boxing career.

“Had a fight last year on the undercard of Justis Huni but has now officially said after the end of next week, he’s done, he’s hanging up the footy boots.

“Let’s not forget a few months ago he was playing Origin for New South Wales. Great footballer, good bloke.

Tevita Pangai Junior. Picture: NRL Photos

“Moving back to Queensland to further his boxing career, and then the dots started to get joined. Bulldogs needed some salary cap space, we know the kind of headaches they’ve got there. Tevita is not happy, he said the biggest mistake he ever made was leaving the Broncos, he wants to come back to Queensland.

“Who was he coached by when he first played here? Wayne Bennett. Where’s Wayne now? He’s at the Dolphins. So you start to join the dots.”

Dobbin then revealed another factor that could get Pangai Jr to the Dolphins.

“Tevita, proud Tongan heritage. Who is the coach of the Tongan team? Kristian Wolf, Dolphins assistant coach, next head coach, or is also a former boxer,” he said.

“Kristian Wolf from Mt Isa could fight like a bag of feral cats and Tevita wants to do it.

So where there is smoke, there is fire, so I put it to Dolphins CEO Terry Reader.”

Reader reiterated Bennett’s comments and said the club are open to talking with Pangai Jr.

“We heard Wayne’s comments, he said if he’s living in Brisbane and wants to play football then he’s open to having a chat about it,” Reader said.

“Wayne has had a relationship with Tevita, the mail is he’s going to be a Dolphin in 2024,” Dobbin replied.

Wayne Bennett could attract TPJ back to the NRL. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“Well it’s mail we haven’t received yet,” Reader said.

Dobbin then pushed Reader if the club would be open to signing him.

“If there’s a quality player available and he wants to be at your club to fit into what you guys are going and what we’re doing, you’re always going to listen,” he said.

“If Tevita has moved back to Brisbane and he decides he hasn’t finished yet, Wayne is happy to have a chat.”

Dobbin believes there is “no chance” Pangai Jr will return to the Broncos under Walters and said the Dolphins had more than enough space to sign him for around $600,000.

“I spoke to someone at the Broncos and they said he’s not coming back under Kevvie, no way, absolutely no way,” he said.

“He’ll cost 550-600 and the Dolphins have got $2 million cap space, they’ve got so much cap space it’s not funny.

“He strengthens your pack, he’s an Origin player. They’ll pay 600. I’d say all roads point to the peninsula of Redcliffe.

“Add him with (Tom) Flegler, you’ve got (Jarrod) Wallace, you’ve got (Tom) Gilbert, the Bromwich brothers at the back end of their careers, JMK at hooker.

“They could be anything and Wayne and Kristian Woolf know how to handle Tevita.”

Originally published as ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire’: Pangai Jr linked with retirement backflip to join rival club