After walking away from rugby league last year, Tevita Pangai Junior has moved closer to returning to the NRL.
The 27-year-old played with the Canterbury Bulldogs for the 2022 and 2023 seasons but decided to sever ties with the club and the game of rugby league, walking away from a $750,000 contract to take up professional boxing.
Announced on Thursday evening in the middle of his former club's trial match, the former NSW Blues enforcer has officially signed with the Souths Logan Magpies in the QLD Cup - the feeder club of the Brisbane Broncos.
With more than 130 first-grade games to his name, Pangai Junior will play under coach Karmichael Hunt and assistant coach Justin Hodges.
The arrival to the QLD Cup will also see him push for a return to the NRL, with the Bulldogs previously stating that they wouldn't stand in the way of a potential return.
“I think I could do both (boxing and league),” Pangai Junior told reporters on Monday.
“I spar twice a week and I've played footy since I was four years old, both codes, rugby league and rugby union. There's great coaching at Souths Logan with Karmichael Hunt.
“I was lucky enough to play some games for them before the Broncos bosses kicked me out (in 2021). I have a lot of respect for Karmichael and Justin Hodges (Souths Logan assistant coach).
“'Hodgo' was a great competitor so I will probably go back to Souths Logan, hopefully get some wins, and then after that I'll look to play some footy (for the Broncos in the NRL).”
