Tevita Pangai Junior of the Broncos watches the round nine NRL match between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on May 10, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images.))
Brisbane star Patrick Carrigan is hoping that former Bronco Tevita Pangai Junior, who was photographed at training this week, has his sights set on a more permanent return to Red Hill.
After departing the Bronco’s stable for life as a Panther and then a Bulldog in July of 2021, Pangai Jr has since hung up the boots, instead opting for life in the square circle as a professional boxer.
Yet, after making the move back to the River City, and being snapped as an interested onlooker at Red Hill this summer, speculation has intensified of a reunuion between club and forward in the near future.
As quoted by The Daily Telegraph, Carrigan claimed that Pangai Jr had walked away from a $750,000 footy contract, he held out hope that the former Origin forward might be willing to write another chapter in the NRL.
“There’s a bit of noise around Tevita,” Carrigan said.
“He’s just moved back to Brissy and training down at Logan.
“We are close, Tevita, myself and Payne (Haas). I’d love to see him back at the Broncos.
“He retired and I think he’s enjoying his challenges with boxing, but we’ll see what happens.”
Though Pangai Jr was squeezed out of Kevin Walters’ starting side several seasons back, with the ilk of Kurt Capewell, Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler making tracks from the stable, the premiership-contending Broncos could doubtlessly use another representative footballer on their books.
Pangai Jr has currently made 138 first-grade appearances – 96 as a Bronco – since debuting in 2016, with the 27-year-old crossing the chalk on 18 occasions.
The Broncos are set to commence what they are hoping to be a title-winning season when they travel to Las Vegas to face the Roosters on Sunday, March 3.
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