NSW left singing the blues after prop snub
BRONCOS star Tevita Pangai has dropped an Origin bombshell by quitting the Blues and formally committing to Tonga just days before the naming of the NSW and Maroons teams for Game 1.
Pangai Jr has contacted Brad Fittler to renounce his NSW ties as the Blues coach prepares to unveil his team on Sunday for the series opener at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday week. In an admirable show of loyalty, Pangai Jr has not only walked away from a potential $90,000 payday for three Origin games, he has urged Fittler to pick his Broncos teammates Payne Haas or Matt Lodge instead.
The Broncos wrecking ball made his Tonga Test debut in 2017 but revealed last year he was open to playing for NSW – prompting Fittler to select Pangai Jr in his 32-man trainon squad last December. While Pangai Jr has had a mixed season so far, he was being considered by NSW as a possible impact weapon off the bench for Origin I.
“I’ve called ‘Freddy’ (Fittler) to tell him I won’t be available for NSW,” Pangai said. “I want to make this clear ... I was no certainty to be picked at all and I wasn’t thinking I could just walk into a great NSW team, but I don’t want to stuff a guy like Freddy around. I really appreciated Freddy’s handling of it. He was really good about it and he gave me some advice on how to be more consistent. He wished me all the best and said he will consider other people.
“I pushed Payne Haas and Matt Lodge to Freddy. To be honest, they are playing better footy than me and I would rather see one of them wearing that NSW jumper.
“I think it would mean more to them and I really hope they get a start for this year’s series.”
Pangai Jr, who has played four Tests for Tonga, initially said 18 months ago that he had no desire to play Origin, but had a change of mind midway through last season after Fittler dangled a carrot.
However, the 23-year-old insists there will be no more representative backflips after a heart-to-heart with Tongan teammate Jason Taumalolo.