ESPN news: Walters and Bellamy moves Pangai’s NRL comeback quest.
Tevita Pangai Jr. is giving up boxing in an attempt to revitalize his rugby league career.
The former NRL player is certain he’s on the correct track after having casual conversations with Melbourne mentor Craig Bellamy and Brisbane coach Kevin Walters.
On Saturday night, Pangai Jr., who signed with Souths Logan Magpies for the Queensland Cup, will compete in his final professional bout.
“Then I am going to go back to rugby league full time,” he stated to AAP.
“Kevvie and I enjoyed coffee and casual conversations. He said, “That conversation confirmed I still have a lot of footy in me.”
“I contacted Craig Bellamy because it appears that the Broncos door is closed. His main criticism of my career was that it had not been consistent. I concur. When I return, I want to make sure I get that one thing right.
“Those two conversations have stoked a fire inside of me. My goal in the NRL is to return to my peak.
“All I want to do is control what I can. I’m exercising diligently and eating the correct foods. I currently weigh 114 kg, which is the weight Wayne Bennett liked me to have when I played for the Broncos.
“I am ready to put my best foot forward.”
As of Thursday, Pangai Jr.’s conversation with Bellamy had not led to any formal talks with the club’s committee for recruitment and retention.
David Pangai, his brother and manager, is handling his business and will speak with any NRL team that is considering hiring him.
Pangai Jr., who played 96 of his 138 NRL games at the Broncos, was released by Canterbury last year in order to pursue a career in boxing.
Pangai cannot be called up from the second-tier Magpies to the Broncos unless he has an NRL contract since players are not allowed to play at the highest level without one.
The likelihood is very high that the NRL salary-cap auditor would only approve Pangai’s signing on a full-fledged NRL contract; this would exclude any NRL train-and-trial agreement, such as the one Dolphins fullback Trai Fuller is now on.
There is a top-30 spot available for the Broncos.
He is known to us. When asked about the 28-year-old on Thursday, Walters responded, “With our salary cap we can’t afford him right now.”
“We still have a few weeks to wait. We ought to “wait and see.”
“We are always looking for players who can improve our team, and if we think Tevita can do that at the appropriate time, we’ll see.
All of us are aware of his abilities. Perhaps his profession as a boxer has been beneficial to him.
It’s an individual sport that helps you realize that you’re the only person in the ring.
“Playing rugby league puts you in a team situation where you occasionally have to do things against your will to support your teammates; perhaps this has helped him see things more clearly.
“He has certainly got great ability as a footballer.”
