Wayne Bennett's admission about Tevita Pangai Junior as Matty Johns floats Souths theory
Pangai Junior is off contract at the end of the season.
Tevita Pangai Junior looms as a potential X-factor for the Dolphins at the back end of the NRL season after starring against the Rabbitohs in what Wayne Bennett described as a "dominant" performance from the powerhouse forward on Thursday night. The Dolphins had lost four of their previous five games before taking on a red-hot Rabbitohs side, but got their season back on track with an impressive 36-28 victory.
Pangai Junior - who only recently returned to the NRL after quitting the Bulldogs last year to take up boxing - was instrumental in the eight-point win that sees Bennett's men cement sixth spot on the ladder. Bennett's decision to throw Pangai a lifeline paid dividends in what was just the third game back in first grade for the Dolphins wrecking ball, who scored one try, set up another, ran for 140 metres and recorded three offloads and four tackle busts in 51 minutes.
The former Broncos and Bulldogs star was thrust into the starting 13 for Bennett's injury-ravaged side and excelled after being picked at prop against the Rabbitohs. Pangai set the tone from the outset with some fearless runs at the Bunnies' defensive line that were reminiscent of some of the forward's best displays in the NRL. The Dolphins prop was a handful for Souths and a constant threat in attack, with his offload game causing the visitors plenty of headaches.
“I was really pleased with him,” Bennett said about Pangai after the match. “We’ve lost Tom Flegler and we all know what he brings, and Tevita is a similar sort of player. We just needed that forward who can do that stuff. He got a try, he set one up there with an offload that sent us away in the second half. He was dominant.”
If the veteran Dolphins coach can continue to get similar performances out of Pangai for the remainder of the season, he could become a vital cog in their NRL finals push, in what is just the second season for the competition's newest franchise. Fox League’s Matty Johns was also thoroughly impressed with what he saw from Pangai on Thursday night and pondered whether Bennett may consider bringing him to Souths with him next year when he takes over as Rabbitohs coach.
Could Tevita Pangai follow Wayne Bennett to Souths?
“The first thing that struck me is that I thought he looked fit and it’s the best I’ve seen him move in years,” Johns said. “That footwork, and those late offloads. If you get yourself rock hard fit, you’re going to move better and play longer minutes. If he starts performing he might end up back in Sydney with Wayne.”
Pangai's dislike of living in Sydney and longing to move back home to Queensland were cited as major reasons behind his shock decision to quit the Bulldogs and take up boxing last year. But if anyone can convince the 28-year-old to give it another crack it's Bennett, who he has a great relationship with after playing under the master coach at the Broncos and now Dolphins. Pangai is off contract at the end of the current season.
South Sydney's middle forward rotation has been a little underwhelming in 2024 and Pangai would certainly add another dimension to their pack if he were to follow Bennett to Redfern in 2025. But Bennett insists his focus is fully on this season with the Dolphins, despite being criticised for speaking with Rabbitohs players and interim coach Ben Hornby and accused of trying to balance the two coaching roles.
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Bennett's side is in the midst of an injury crisis with Flegler, Tom Gilbert, Euan Aitken and Jeremy Marshall-King all sidelined with injury, and Felise Kaufusi away on Origin duty. But the veteran mentor has praised players like Pangai who've stepped up and done a job for the side in trying circumstances.
“No one is going to stop the comp for us and give us a month’s break so we can get everybody back. We get (Felise) Kaufusi back next week," Bennett said in response to a question about the club's injury toll. “We have a team of guys who keep putting their hands up regardless of who I pick and that’s what we want. They’ll do the best they can. Jeremy Marshall-King is also out. Max Plath did a pretty good job tonight but he’s not Jeremy and the next guy won’t be Euan Aitken but the guys keep turning up and doing their best and that’s all I can ask.”
