Tevita Pangai Jr reportedly signs $2 million deal with Canterbury Bulldogs

The Canterbury Bulldogs have secured the signature of Broncos enforcer Tevita Pangai Jr, according to several reports.

Pangai has reportedly signed a three-year deal to join the Bulldogs in 2022 for more than $2 million, keeping him at Belmore until at least 2024.

According to NRL.com, the 25-year-old will reject approaches from the Wests Tigers to link with Trent Barrett’s side from next season.

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Speaking on Fox League’s NRL 360, The Australian’s Brent Read claimed the Bulldogs will announce the coup within the next couple of days.

“Tevita’s management were talking with the Broncos tonight about a settlement or a payout figure that could make the deal go through with, it looks like Canterbury,” Read said on Monday evening.

“Canterbury are very confident that they have won the day with Tevita Pangai.

“I would expect an announcement in the next day or two on this.

“Tevita I am not sure he will be at Canterbury this season. I think they are looking at him for next season onwards.

“It might be that Tevita leaves Brisbane this season before August 1 and plays for someone else for the remainder of 2021 and then moves to Canterbury.

“But Canterbury are very confident that they have won the day with Pangai Jr.”

Tevita Pangai Jr is set to become a Bulldog in 2022.Source:News Corp Australia

According to Triple M’s Ben Dobbin, Pangai will “definitely” be heading to the Bulldogs next year, but could join the Penrith Panthers for the remainder of the 2021 season, provided the clubs can come to an agreement.

However, Channel 9’s Danny Weidler revealed that Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher had strongly denied the move.

“We had a chat with his agent several weeks ago, he is a quality player but it made no sense,” Fletcher said, according to Weidler.

“We have an excellent roster.”

Tevita Pangai Jr won’t be at Panthers this year.

Was offered to club for 2021 a couple weeks ago. It doesn’t work in the cap. They would need to move player on.

Spoken to both Panthers and TPJ’s manager. Both parties say it won’t be happening.

Last month, Pangai revealed the Broncos told the Tonga international he was free to approach other NRL clubs.

“I’m on contract for this year and next year but yeah they got me in on my day off and told me that I’m free to look elsewhere,” Pangai said following Brisbane’s 46-0 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

“Players have got to be held accountable for the results that we’ve been tossing up so if that’s me I have to look elsewhere but I’ve just got to take it day by day, week by week and see where my future is.”

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are reportedly also hunting the signature of sacked Dragons prop Paul Vaughan.

“I think Paul Vaughan will be there as well at the Bulldogs,” The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield told NRL 360.

“It is a complicated one because they are talking with the integrity unit about if they sign him now does that work off the eight-week suspension he owes.

“Or can they wait and sign him next year and will the suspension be gone by then. That’s the conversation they are having.”

Last week, the Bulldogs appointed rugby league icon Phil Gould as their new General Manager of Football with immediate effect.

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