NRL: Haircut for Tevita Pangai after he attended barber shop opening

Broncos forward Tevita Pangai has been put in a Covid hold for the next fortnight after attending the opening of a barber shop.

Brisbane’s Tevita Pangai faces two weeks out of the game and a substantial fine.

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys has foreshadowed a hefty fine for Tevita Pangai after the Brisbane forward became the latest player caught out breaching the game’s biosecurity rules — by attending the opening of a barber shop that was at the centre of a police sting.

Pangai was subject to strict protocols because the Broncos played in Sydney on Friday night against South Sydney. He opted to ignore those rules by attending the opening with his brothers, only to be caught out because police believed the barber shop had ties to the Mongols bikie gang.

While there is no suggestion Pangai or any members of his family did anything wrong or had an association with the bikie gang, his mere presence was in violation of the game’s biosecurity rules and he has now entered a 14-day quarantine period.

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He is also set to receive a significant fine from the NRL — Souths coach Wayne Bennett and St George Illawarra forward Paul Vaughan were fined $20,000 and $10,00 respectively for biosecurity breaches.

It is understood Pangai’s fine is likely to be closer to $20,000 because his judgment was so poor.

The NRL is also cognisant that a heavy fine would send a strong message given the game’s ability to play in Queensland remains so delicately placed.

“It is just so disappointing,” V’landys said.

“He will be dealt with. I just can’t express my disappointment enough. The thing is, what if the Queensland government changed (their stance) and made all his fellow players move to NSW.

“How would he feel? These are all the risks they are taking — we need credibility with government. We are telling government the players are following the protocols and then you have people like this who blatantly ignore them.

“I am comfortable the government know we are going to go hard on them and they know we have the protocols there.”

The Broncos have endured a difficult season but it has reached its nadir in recent days following a loss to South Sydney and a spate of incidents off the field.

Club legend Allan Langer was fined and forced to undergo a COVID-19 test after attending a function at Brisbane’s Caxton Hotel to celebrate his 54th birthday. Coach Anthony Seibold is also in a 14-day COVID-19 hold after staying in Sydney to take care of a family matter.

Now Pangai will miss at least two games due to an act of stupidity that jeopardises the support of the Queensland government.

Pangai has been a liability at times during his time in Brisbane through his actions on the field — he has missed more than 10 weeks in recent years through suspension. Now he has cost the club through his actions off the field.

While players can get a haircut, attending the opening of barber shops is not on the approved list of activities.

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

“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.”

The NRL won’t muck around. They will hit Pangai with a heavy fine on Monday and similar incidents can expect to receive the same treatment as the NRL begins to run out of patience.

“I just hope this is a wake-up call and they realise the responsibility,” V’landys said.

“To be fair, the majority of the players are doing the right thing. There is always going to be one or two or three.

“When you look at the amount of players and officials in the bubble, it is less than 1 per cent. I think the government understands that.”

It shapes as a busy morning at Rugby League Central as they also prepare to hit Penrith coach Ivan Cleary with a fine for his comments over the refereeing of his side’s win over Canberra on Saturday night.

Cleary claimed it felt like the referees were “managing” the game in the second half, an insinuation that their decisions were designed to help Canberra get back in the game.

It is understood NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo spoke to Cleary on Sunday and was immensely disappointed with the comments. He is likely to hand down a fine to Penrith on Monday morning.