Tevita Pangai Junior has left the door open for a return to the NRL and has reportedly held preliminary talks with the Broncos over a short-term deal.
The 27-year-old sensationally quit rugby league last year and signed a $750,000 deal with the Bulldogs to pursue a boxing career.
However, rumors of his return began to circulate after he was recently spotted watching a Broncos training session.
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While Pangai Junior saidNews Corp He is only focused on boxing “right now”, the same Masthead report told Broncos bosses about the possibility of returning to the club after June on a four-month deal.
The Broncos are yet to make an offer but Pangai Junior is willing to juggle his boxing career in the NRL. If the club can meet the salary cap.
The former star prop has opened up about his decision to leave rugby league, saying he has “no regrets” and “I’m just happy to have my life back on track and back in Brisbane.”
He also broke his silence on the Broncos visit, revealing he attended the training session because his boxing trainer’s daughter wanted to meet Reece Walsh and Payne Haas.
“So the rumor started going around that I was going back to the Broncos, but this isn’t the first time I’ve been to see the Broncos practice,” he said.
Pangai Junior, who has signed a two-year fighting contract, could eventually return to the NRL and believes he still has something to offer, but for now he is determined to give his all to his boxing career.
“I’m fully committed to boxing but I haven’t ruled out competing in the NRL again,” he said.
“I’m concentrating on boxing at the moment, but I think I can still box in the NRL. I am only 28 years old and am in my prime as a front rower.
“Skill-wise I could still do something in the NRL but I take boxing seriously and I respect the sport.”
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He’s confident he can juggle both sports if he wants to.
“I don’t hate rugby league. You certainly haven’t seen the best of me in the NRL. “I could have done better if I had stayed consistent, but I don’t know what the future holds.”
“I think I can be successful in both sports. Boxing and rugby league work together in many ways. I don’t think training can harm me in boxing and vice versa in the league.
“I don’t think it would be a problem for me if I went the route of mixing boxing and NRL.”
Pangai Junior spent the past two seasons with the Bulldogs and has a contract worth $750,000 in 2024. But he walked.
He put to rest rumors that general manager Phil Gould paid him $250,000 and hit back at those who think he is driven by money.
“There was virtually no compensation,” he said.
“Most of the discussions were with the coaches, but I talked to ‘Gus’ (Gould).
“When he found out about my decision we spoke about it clearly and he said he would be there for me if I needed anything and I was grateful. I was happy to be able to leave without any bad blood.
“I haven’t received a penny from the Dogs. Anyone who has ever done business with me knows that I am very fair at the negotiating table. I am not driven by money. My parents always told me not to hurt anyone. I received bigger offers during my time in the NRL and was happy to get paid less to play for a winning team.
“I don’t care if people think I’m hungry for money. I had to go back to Brisbane and box and the Dogs had $750,000 to play for.
“I think it was a fair deal in the end.”
Pangai Junior has reflected further on his exit from the game, revealing his heartbreaking desire to return to Brisbane and his commitment to the Bulldogs ahead of the 2023 season.
“Honestly, I hated Sydney. “I didn’t like the city,” he said.
“There’s a reason my parents moved away from Sydney when I was 12. It sucks there. I will never back down.
“My biggest thing was being in Brisbane. People don’t understand how much I love being able to come home to my wife’s family and work with my (boxing) trainer in Brisbane.
“There is no problem with Cameron. He knows what we said.
“I had a few goals and I said if I didn’t achieve them I would quit the NRL and take up boxing.
“I told ‘Ciro’ that if we didn’t finish in the top eight I would leave the club and leave without compensation.
“We had a good relationship. Cameron didn’t want to hold me to that, but I felt I wasn’t up to my standards at Dogs and I wasn’t happy with myself.”
It didn’t take long for news of Pangai Junior’s NRL exit to land on Wallabies coach Eddie Jones’ radar, with the pair meeting “just a few days” after the bombshell announcement was made.
“It’s true I spoke to Eddie Jones,” said Pangai Junior.
“He wanted to sign me and asked me to watch some match footage and I told him I played as a number eight and loved watching Toutai Kefu and Willie Ofahengaue (ex-Wallabies).
“I definitely wanted to play rugby. The Lions tour and World Cup are coming up. I played rugby union as a kid so I know the game, but I told the Bulldogs I wanted to test myself in boxing and I wanted to keep my promise.”
