Former NRL enforcer turned professional boxer Tevita Pangai junior has revealed that Eddie Jones approached him to switch to rugby union midway through last year.
In a sprawling interview with the Courier-Mail, the former Bulldog said that he had a sit down with the then-Wallabies coach just days after quitting Canterbury to take up a boxing career, with the coach attempting to lure him to the other code.
“It’s true I spoke to Eddie Jones,” said the former Tonga and NSW prop.
“Simon Poidevin is a friend of mine, he helped me get a scholarship to Newington College when I was 12 years old and he helped set up a chat with Eddie.
“We had been trying to set up the meeting for a while, but we finally spoke just a few days after I announced my retirement from the NRL.
“Eddie was great. I really enjoyed talking to him.
“He was pretty keen to sign me, he told me to watch some footage of games and I mentioned to him that I had played No.8 and liked watching Toutai Kefu and Willie Ofahengaue (former Wallabies).
“I definitely thought about going to rugby. There’s the Lions tour and the World Cup coming up. I played rugby union as a kid, so I know the game, but I had told the Bulldogs I wanted to test myself in boxing and I wanted to stick to my word.”
TPJ has committed to boxing, but was spotted at Broncos training in January in Brisbane, which he put down to merely visiting friends.
“I blame my boxing trainer for this,” said Pangai, who made 96 appearances for the Broncos between 2016 and 2021.
“His daughter wanted to meet Reece Walsh and Payne Haas (Broncos stars), so I said, ‘I will take you training and meet a few of the lads’.
“That’s why all these rumours started happening about me coming back to the Broncos, but it’s not the first time I have gone to watch Broncos training.
“Right now, I am focused on boxing, but I think I can still definitely mix it in the NRL. I’m only 28 and I’m just hitting my peak as a front-rower.
“Ability wise, I can still do something in the NRL, but I’m taking boxing seriously and respecting the sport.
“I’m committed to boxing but I haven’t ruled out playing NRL again. I would have to have a good talk with my wife and my brother, who manages me.”
Whatever happens, Pangai will certainly not be moving back to Sydney.
“To be honest, I just hated Sydney,” he said. “I didn’t enjoy the city. There’s a reason my parents moved out of Sydney when I was 12. The place sucks. I will never move back.
“My big thing was being in Brisbane. People don’t understand how much I love being back home with my wife’s family and being able to work with my (boxing) trainer in Brisbane.”
Good Grief
Roar Rookie
Doesn’t sound like he’s finished with league, just sounds like he was done living in Sydney and wants to live in Brisbane. One roster injury away from being offered a new contract with Brisbane.
astro
Roar Rookie
Interesting how we're hearing more from TPJ in the last couple of months than we did for most of his NRL career...I'm sure that has nothing to do with self-promotion or boxing or anything like that! Just pure coincidence!
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Eddie must’ve just given up on decent halves and decide to stack the team with a surplus of loose forwards
Albo
Roar Rookie
I thought he must have been a Newington boy !! :silly:
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
In fairness Eddie wasted way more on his dismal RWC campaign. This would be small potatoes.
Peta Smith
Roar Rookie
As if we needed more proof of Eddie’s incompetence…
Succhi
Roar Rookie
We now know Eddie had no idea. I think TPJ will be back in the NRL sooner rather than later. It will take him 3 years to make any decent coin, if he is lucky.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Putting all those things aside, he’d already said he doesn’t want to play footy and he’s not even a particularly good player. Very very strange.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
He’d be a number 8. Many NRL props would be good there but even a less fit, higher impact 8 would be expected to play 50 mins a game and TPJ is more effective a short stint prop from my observations so likely not at all suitable. Then when we consider that Valetini is basically a certainty at 8 (or 6) so we need back rowers who are good in the line out as we already have Wilson and Gleeson who can provide similar impact but are weaker in the line out. TPJ would likely never be a decent 4th option at test level. Ludicrous to even by Jones consider really
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Honestly he was on pretty big money at the dogs. I doubt they would have been opposed to releasing him even to join a rival.
andrew
Roar Rookie
He looks bigger than dad, and can throw them. He’s taller and weighs 120kg apparently.
Tony
Roar Guru
Leapai is going to be a pretty frightening proposition when he finishes growing
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Thanks. Hadn't heard anything, which could be a sign of careful preparation for bigger and better bouts, or just inertia.
Tony
Roar Guru
And, what position would he be suited for in rugby?
Nat
Roar Guru
Geez, Eddie is seriously unpopular in union circles as it is. Imagine if he left them with an overpaid TPJ? Everyone who has every set eyes on his skills has thought "if only". I reckon Bennett is the only coach who got the most consistent best out of him because he wanted to play for Bennett. Those who have chased him never got his best.
Robbo
Roar Rookie
Won his 1st one I think
andrew
Roar Rookie
Let TPJ test himself against Alex Leapai jr who recently quit the Titans for boxing. I'd back Alex to knock TPJ out.
Don
Roar Rookie
What a ludicrous proposition if indeed true. We have Valentini, Wilson, Gleeson and others and Eddie was speaking with a NRL player with a history of discipline, workmate, attitude and consistency issues?
Tony
Roar Guru
IF the approach by Jones is true, and that's a very bi IF, it just shows how lucky Rugby Australia are that he's gone and never to return.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Interesting story but the past is the past. Where to from here? That's the question.