Bulldogs basic supervisor Phil Gould has admitted his shock at Tevita Pangai Junior’s choice to stroll away from rugby league and a $750,000 contract to concentrate on boxing.
Pangai Junior will play the Bulldogs’ final three video games of the season earlier than present process a “clean break” from the membership and the game.
Gould make clear the scenario on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast, delving deep into the lead up and when Pangai Junior finally introduced the news on Tuesday to his teammates.
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“They went to the team meeting (on Tuesday). There was a little bit of an honesty session about who did what and Tevita gets up and apologises for his performance the day before, which is not unusual for a player if he’s had a bad day,” Gould mentioned.
“He said, ‘I’m sorry, I’ve had some personal issues, I don’t want to delve into it, but I probably didn’t turn up with the right focus, and I didn’t turn up with the right attitude and it sort of got away from me and I should have done better. In fact, I think this next three weeks will be my last three games and I’m going to give rugby league away.’
“It stunned everyone.”
Gould mentioned he was stunned by the news, labelling it a “thunderbolt” and “out of the blue”, however did reveal that Pangai Junior had forewarned coach Cameron Ciraldo about his impending choice after the Bulldogs’ loss to the Knights.
Gould additionally gave an perception into a number of the struggles Pangai Junior handled this season, believing it may have contributed to the choice.
“He’s a deep thinker, Tevita, and he just suddenly blurted out to the coach ‘I think I’ll give it away…. ‘I think this’ll be my last year, I think I’ll go and find something else to do,’” Gould mentioned.
“Cameron rang me straight after and we just kind of put it down to the performance the day before. It’s not unlike him to take a lot on his own shoulders, there are a number of times he’s said he wishes he was on less money, he wishes he didn’t have all this expectation.
“I think he’s a bit sensitive to media, I think getting picked in the Origin side gave him a pick-up, and then he got dropped. There’s been a whole lot of things.
“He’s quite a sensitive kid. For a big, strong brute of a man he’s quite a sensitive young man.”
After Pangai Junior’s shock revelation to his teammate, Gould says Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton phoned him to verify the 27-year-old wished to make a “clean break at the end of the season” and “get on his life in a different sport”.
“I didn’t actually get to speak to Tevita until this morning (Wednesday). He was pretty strong and pretty adamant (about the decision) so we’ll go through the process,” Gould mentioned.
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Six Tackles with Gus co-host Matt Thompson requested if Pangai Junior had modified his thoughts after a “night’s sleep.”
“No, he hasn’t changed. It’s going to happen,” Gould replied.
Gould additionally lambasted the “conspiracy theorists” that consider Pangai Junior was pressured out from the Bulldogs, suggesting they “jump in a lake”.
”I noticed a suggestion that the membership has given him an ultimatum that he has to play rugby league or be a fighter,” Thompson put to Gould.
“Absolute rubbish, absolute lies. It never happened that way whatsoever. No way in the world did that happen,” Gould responded.
“Nor has he discussed or wanted any settlement for next year’s contract, he’s virtually walked away from it.
“He said ‘my family think I’m stupid’ and I said well, everybody raises their eyebrows these days, people just don’t walk away from contracts that lucrative.
“He’s his own man, that’s what his heart wants to do and he’s going to back himself in that sport. Whether he rethinks and comes back to rugby league.. You don’t know with Tevita.”
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