Dolphins forward Tevita Pangai Junior is reportedly expected to make the shock call to relocate to the south of France and play in the English Super League.
The forward had retired at the end of the 2023 NRL season, ending his miserable stint with the Canterbury Bulldogs.
At the end of it, the forward said he had never adjusted to Sydney, and had fallen out of love with rugby league despite making a stunning State of Origin debut for the New South Wales Blues last season.
His retirement was short lived though, with Pangai Junior returning to the NRL with the Dolphins in recent times.
On a deal through to the end of 2024, it was reported recently that Pangai Junior was set to drop a bombshell and make the move back to Sydney where he was going to follow Wayne Bennett and turn out for the Rabbitohs in 2025.
Now it's being reported by News Corp that Pangai Junior will continue his career in France next season on a one-year deal with the Catalans Dragons.
The change of heart is a major surprise given Pangai Junior's previous issues being away from Queensland, although even the idea of a move back to Sydney had raised eyebrows.
A short-lived boxing career between his last game for the Rabbitohs and return through the Dolphins has seen the forward want to respark his rugby league journey, and it was believed coach Wayne Bennett was a big part of the reason he was weighing up a move back to Sydney next year.
The Rabbitohs are also desperate to add middle forwards, but there is little doubt Pangai Junior would fit in at the Dragons in France, who have made no secret of their desire to sign big-name players, and are looking for a replacement for Siosiua Taukeiaho who was recently sacked by the club.
It's understood the Rabbitohs' salary cap issues may have also played a role in Pangai Junior's call to exit the NRL.
