Tevita Pangai Junior has officially agreed to a three-year deal with the Canterbury Bulldogs.
After being told he'd be let go by the Broncos after this season, rumours have been rife about the eventual destination of Pangai Junior.
The forward has today been formally unveiled as the newest member of the Bulldogs' rebuild though, meaning they have beaten the Wests Tigers for the prized signature.
While it's still unclear if the 25-year-old will be released by the Broncos for the remainder of the 2021 season, with speculation that he wants to chase a premiership with either the Eels or the Panthers still running rampant, it's now clear Pangai Junior will be based at Belmore in 2022, with the contract running until at least the end of 2024.
The Bulldogs have been making plenty of upgrades to their roster in recent times, with all of Matt Dufty, Josh Addo-Carr, Brent Naden and Matt Burton locked in to join the club next year, while reports suggest they are also chasing Paul Vaughan.
The club have been glued at the wrong end of the table for a number of seasons, and Trent Barrett's men seem destined to pick up the 2021 wooden spoon with just seven rounds of the season to run.
An official club statement heralded the signing of Pangai Junior as one of the biggest moves the blue and white have been able to make in years.
Their salary cap crisis, caused by back-ended contracts during the Des Hasler reign, is finally coming to an end, and could be looking at a full-blown turnaround in 2022.
Pangai Junior has made 96 NRL appearances since debuting in 2016, and has been one of the best in a struggling Broncos' lineup this season.
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Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett said he was delighted with the addition.
“Being able to bring a forward of Tevita’s quality to the club is a massive boost for our playing group for next season and beyond.
He is a great ball runner and strong defender and someone who will be the perfect fit with the other forwards that we have.
He is also a player with International experience who has performed well on that stage and someone who can be a leader within our group.
I know that everyone at the club is excited about Tevita joining us next season and we believe that he will be a major asset moving forward."
The saga regarding Pangai Junior's possible destination for the remainder of 2021 will continue however, with constant speculation surrounding the star forward.
