State of Origin 2023: Tevita Pangai Jr’s hidden pain ahead of NSW debut
Tevita Pangai Jr can scarcely believe he’s on rugby league’s biggest stage - and when he takes the field for Origin 1, he’ll carry the tragedy which drives him every day.
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Tevita Pangai Jr Junior will run onto Adelaide Oval next week with his children at the front of his mind. Not just his son Kilu, but the child that is on the way and most importantly, the daughter he lost at the end of 2021.
Pangai Jnr has been to hell and back in recent years, his axing by the Broncos paling in comparison to the loss of his daughter, Georgia. He has since become father to a son and has another child on the way with partner Anna Inoke.
But in his mind, he will always have another child and Georgia will be at the forefront of his thoughts in Adelaide next week.
“At the time it was a tough loss for me,” Pangai Jnr said.
“I knew at the time I had a job to do for Penrith. My mind was so focused on doing a job for Penrith and winning a grand final.
“It is hard when I get asked that question about how many kids I have - you say one but I know deep down I have two. I don’t want to talk about it so I say one.
“In my heart and in myself I know she is my first born. It is tough. It will be in my mind but also all the games I watched as a kid, playing in junior reps.
“I am finally not playing in the curtain raiser - I am on the big stage.”
It’s a stage he never saw coming, having wasted no time expressing his regret at his previous praise for Queensland and promising to bring some fire and aggression to the Blues.
NSW coach Brad Fittler didn’t need any convincing — he had forgiven Pangai Jr some time ago. But the Bulldogs enforcer still needed to make peace with the Blues fans who recalled his decision to turn his back on NSW to play for Tonga, before declaring his unrequited love for Queensland and his desire to help then-coach Kevin Walters prepare the Maroons for an Origin series.
At the time, Pangai Jr thought his chances of playing for NSW were done and dusted. On Sunday night, that all changed with a phone call from Fittler, who picked the brain of Canterbury head of football Phil Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo before bringing Pangai Jr into his team for Origin I in Adelaide.
“I guess I was just young,” Pangai Jr said.
“At the time my heart and soul was with Tonga. From a competitive point, my drive was yearning to play the top level and play at the pinnacle.
“I was just young. As a kid I loved Greg Inglis and Israel Folau — they were my favourite players — so I followed them. Wherever they played, I just followed.”
Asked about offering to help Walters with the Maroons, Pangai Jr said: “I think that was just my relationship with Kevin. Even though he sacked me two years ago, I still love him.
“There is a lot of regret about saying that. I just didn’t think I would be good enough to be here. Like I said, the competitive drive in me — I wanted to test myself against the best.”
Pangai Jr made his first public appearance for the Blues on a day when the hits kept coming for Fittler. Already without Jake Trbojevic due to a calf problem, he lost 18th man Campbell Graham with a sternum injury.
Stephen Crichton was called into the Blues’ extended squad as Campbell’s replacement. Most attention, however, was centred around the new faces, in particular the fiery Pangai Jr.
His rise to Origin hasn’t been smooth but Fittler says he has always had a soft spot for him.
“Always been a fan,” Fittler said.
“Had him in an emerging camp a couple of years ago, disappointed with a few things that he did after that but have watched him closely. He is a high impact player.
“I just like him, there is something about him. Sometimes people catch your eye. I have always had that thing in my head about whether he is someone who could do it week in, week out.
“He provides things other people can’t do. We need him to do a job.”
Fittler’s adviser, Greg Alexander, was one of Pangai Jr’s most vocal critics a few years back, suggesting he needed to be smarter about what he said and did.
“I think I said back then that if Tevita wanted to play Origin, he should probably choose his words a little more wisely,” Alexander said.
“Tevita is a completely different person now to what he was back then. Even though I wasn’t in Queensland for his time at the Panthers, they couldn’t have spoken more highly about his professionalism and the way he approached things when he signed that short-term deal.
“I have been in touch with Cameron Ciraldo through the year and spoken about Tevita a number of times. He has all the confidence in the world in him and so do we.
“Everyone deserves a second chance. So we have moved on from those comments that were made years ago now.”
Pangai Jr is grateful for the chance and intent on making his mark. He has spent his career sailing close to the wind but he won’t be holding back come May 31.
Motivation will be plentiful given Pangai Jnr has been to hell and back in recent years, his axing by the Broncos paling in comparison to the loss of his daughter, Georgia.
He has since become father to his son Kilu but in his mind, he will always have two children and Georgia will be at the front of his mind next week.
“It is hard when I get asked that question about how many kids I have — you say one but I know deep down I have two,” Pangai Jr said.
“In my heart and myself I know she is my first born. It will be in my mind but also all the games I watched as a kid, playing in junior reps.
“I am finally not playing in the curtain raiser — I am on the big stage.”
NSW ORIGIN SQUAD ROCKED BY FRESH INJURY
—Dean Ritchie
NSW’s 18th man, South Sydney’s Campbell Graham, has withdrawn from the Blues squad through injury.
Graham sustained a sternum injury against Parramatta on the weekend and has told NSW officials he cannot train this week.
Penrith’s Stephen Crichton has been called into NSW’s extended squad for State of Origin I on May 31.
Crichton is expected to join the NSW camp on Monday. Jake Trbojevic was also forced to pull out with a calf injury.
“For a number of weeks, Graham has been managing his training loads at the beginning of each week to allow him to be fit on game day,” Souths said.
“Unfortunately, this meant he would not be able to be fully involved in the Blues early sessions this week and, as a result, they withdrew him from the squad.
“Graham will return to the Rabbitohs squad today (Monday) and he will be assessed throughout the week as to whether he is fit to play in Saturday’s game against the Canberra Raiders.”
FITTLER GAMBLES ON LOOSE CANNONS
— Brent Read
NSW coach Brad Fittler has put his State of Origin future in the hands of two of the game’s loosest cannons.
Fittler this morning confirmed his side for the opening game of the Origin series in Adelaide next week, handing debuts to Bulldogs forward Tevita Pangai Jr Junior and Canberra forward Hudson Young.
Amid fears the Blues were bullied in last year’s series, Fittler has turned to two noted firebrands in Pangai Jr and Young.
The pair will be tasked with returning fire against a Queensland side that is coming off a shock series win, a tactic that also comes with risk.
Fittler also handed a debut to Sharks star Nicho Hynes while handing recalls to Josh Addo-Carr, Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell.
Asked about the inclusion of Pangai and Young, Fittler said the Blues needed to take some risks after last year’s series defeat.
“We had to make big calls,” Fittler told the Nine Network.
“We had a few back rowers — Angus (Crichton) and Liam Martin — who hadn’t played most of the year. I have been a fan of Tevita for a long time — very skilful, tough bloke.
“I like what they are doing at Canterbury at the moment. They are not winning every game but what they are doing is they are not giving up.
“Watching what he is doing off the ball excites me that he is becoming a much better player. If Tevita can fix up those parts of his game, the talent part is already there.”
Fittler also revealed he had spoken to Damien Cook on Sunday night after the South Sydney star was overlooked for the hooking role — the Blues retained faith in Api Koroisau.
Fittler said Koroisau’s relationship with key players in the NSW side - he played at Penrith with key members of the NSW spine Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai - had played a decisive role in his selection.
“Going down to the last couple of weeks I think Api’s form, his relationship with a few of the players in our team - there has been long relationships though big games,” Fittler said.
“Cooky has been in such good form. I gave him a phone call last night talking about footy … and reassured me that if anything happened, he is our man if things go wrong.”
Fittler was also asked about the Queensland side and revelations that coach Billy Slater was on the verge of dropping Kalyn Ponga in favour of Reece Walsh.
“Given I saw he went off with a HIA (at the weekend), I am sure that would have got them talking and questioning would he get through a State of Origin game,” Fittler said.
Pressed on the potential inclusion of Walsh, Fittler bizarrely responded: “He is a good player. I hope I don’t just sit there and watch him — he is one of those players I like to watch.
“We will have to have a plan around him. He is very good looking and very fast and very everything. I will try not to sit there and adore.”
BLUES BOLTER TALKS SHOCK OF ORIGIN CHANCE
— Fatima Kdouh
Canterbury forward Tevita Pangai Jr was still in “shock” when he arrived at Coogee on Monday morning to join teammates in NSW camp.
Speaking for first since the stunning selection call, Pangai Jr told reporters Brad Fittler’s phone call was just as much of surprise to him as it was to fans.
“I feel shocked, just as much as you guys. It’s a big dream of mine to play Origin and hopefully I get to play. We (Canterbury) are building a strong team and hopefully this attracts more players to come to the Bulldogs.”
Pangai Jr missed the start of the season with a calf injury but his seven matches since returning impressed selectors.
“I came back, it took me a while to find my feet but hopefully I can keep up the good performances,” Pangai Jr said.
Nicho Hynes is ready to go to battle for NSW but when it comes to the state’s best beaches for the Cronulla star, the Blues base at Coogee does not compare to the golden sands of the Sutherland Shire.
Hynes was one of the first players to arrive on Sunday night and the earliest to wake on Monday morning, making his way to the baths at Coogee Beach.
The Blues utility in-waiting braved the icy six degree air temperatures for the early dip.
Asked how he rated the eastern suburbs compared to his new home town, Hynes fired:
“It doesn’t compare to the Shire”.
Brian To’o was the last of Penrith’s contingent to check into camp early on Monday morning.
The winger’s Panthers spine teammates, Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary, plus lock Isaah Yeo were summoned the night before to get a head start on the Blues’ attacking game plan.
A triumphant Tom Trbojevic, who was called in the side after a three-try audition and a burst back into form, was all smiles when he pulled up at the Crown Plaza at 7.45am.
Hudson Young was a late night arrival on Sunday night, avoiding the media scrum, getting in just before midnight after making the three-hour drive from Canberra after the Raiders clash against Sea Eagles.
Originally published as State of Origin 2023: Tevita Pangai Jr’s hidden pain ahead of NSW debut
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