Quit boxing or forget about an NRL return.
That is the reported ultimatum the Brisbane Broncos have issued to Tevita Pangai Junior as he aims to keep his options open for a potential NRL return.
Pangai Junior made a monumental call at the end of 2023 over his future, revealing he had fallen out of love with rugby league in retiring from the sport, walking away from the remainder of his contract with the Canterbury Bulldogs.
The move allowed him to exit Sydney where he had struggled to adjust, and try his hand at boxing.
But the retirement from rugby league didn’t last, with it being confirmed shortly before the start of the new season that Pangai Junior would return to the 13-man sport through the QLD Cup with the Souths Logan Magpies this year.
The forward has since made no secret over his desire to win a Broncos’ contract, but a poor start with the Magpies hasn’t helped his case, and News Corp are now reporting that the only way he will win a return to the NRL is through quitting boxing and dedicating himself back to rugby league.
The 28-year-old has suggested he wants to attempt to juggle the two sports, which he has since been doing through his time with the QLD Cup outfit despite not having a pre-season for rugby league.
Throwing fuel on the fire is the Broncos’ shortage in the forwards. The club lost Thomas Flegler, Keenan Palasia and Kurt Capewell during the off-season, but only replaced them with Fletcher Baker from the Sydney Roosters and Jaiyden Hunt from the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The duo have both already played to start the new season, with Hunt also moving to the edge following a recent injury to Brendan Piakura where Brisbane are particularly short, with Corey Oates also spending minutes there during Friday night’s victory over the North Queensland Cowboys in Brisbane.
