Tevita Pangai Jnr to face Broncos board with contract on the line
Tevita Pangai Junior will front the board of the Brisbane Broncos on Friday amid revelations of social media links with bikie gangs.
Tevita Pangai Jr will front the Brisbane Broncos board on Friday and he has his work cut out to convince the club he deserves another opportunity.
Chances are he will have his contract torn up but even if he survives the axe, he could be fined in excess of $150,000 or suspended for up to 18 matches under the terms of his contract as the Broncos draw a line in the sand following a season of bitter disappointment.
A hefty punishment awaits the barnstorming forward, who has been stood down indefinitely by the NRL and is prevented from applying to return to the bubble until September 8 following a series of flagrant biosecurity breaches that enraged both his club and the governing body.
The NRL was given the impression that Pangai Jnr simply didn’t care any more and in an attempt to prove that he can be trusted, it is believed he has been adhering to the game’s strict biosecurity protocols since being stood down.
He was originally under fire for attending the opening of a barber shop with bikie links. News Corp on Thursday night reported that Pangai Jr had further links to Queensland outlaw bikies and crime figures on social media, and had promoted a business owned by a former gang member.
He will appear before the board by Zoom on Friday but his career at the Broncos hinges on whether he can mount an argument capable of convincing officials that he is worth the risk. The latest revelations won’t help.
The sense was that he was winning the fight to save his career at Brisbane but a series of media interviews last Friday appeared to hurt rather than help his cause.
Pangai Jr has also gone to the NRL claiming unpaid third party agreements, heaping more pressure on the Broncos as the club feels the pinch of the worst season in its proud history.
The NRL has spoken to officials at the Broncos, who insist nothing untoward has occurred and no guarantees were made. The outcome will rest on whether the NRL can find any evidence to back Pangai Jr’s claims.
While that investigation continues, Pangai Jr will be given the opportunity to explain to the Broncos board why his contract should be honoured.
Meanwhile, St George Illawarra forward Jack de Belin is expected to switch attention to his playing future once he receives a decision in his latest court hearing on Friday.
De Belin, who is expected to face sexual assault charges in court later this year, has been stood down for nearly two years.
More Coverage
The Better Half: Ricky Stuart’s wife reveals his weirdest superstition
Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield sits down with Kaylie Stuart, the wife of Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, to talk about the rugby league legend’s weirdest superstition and beating him at golf.
Matty Johns reveals bombshell coaching approach from NRL club
Matty Johns’ squillion-dollar TV contract at Fox Sports expires at the end of the footy season. And it just happens to coincide with one NRL club reaching out to gauge his interest in becoming a head coach.