LAST month, Tevita Pangai Jr played an April Fool’s Day joke on Broncos boss Paul White by telling him he was quitting to join the Roosters on a five-year deal.

Now, the joke is becoming worryingly real.

The Broncos face the fight of their lives to retain Pangai Jr, with the Tongan international weighing up his future at the club more seriously than ever.

Blindside understands the off-contract Pangai Jr has told several Broncos teammates he is looking around at other options.

media_camera Tevita Pangai Jr is exploring his options away from Red Hill. Picture: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

That doesn’t mean Brisbane won’t eventually secure his services, but Pangai Jr’s desire to explore every avenue will ring alarm bells for the Broncos’ recruitment-and-retention committee.

Rated as gifted as Jason Taumalolo, TPJ relished the mentoring of former Broncos coach Wayne Bennett but is being challenged in a new environment under Anthony Seibold.

Because of Pangai Jr’s relationship with Bennett, many expect him to end up at Souths, but it is understood the Rabbitohs are looking to England for a possible forward recruit.

The 23-year-old has put contract talks on hold for a good reason. Pangai Jr’s form has dipped in recent weeks and he needs to rediscover his rampaging form to drive up his asking price.

media_camera Mal Meninga and Wayne Bennett could have joined forces at the Titans. Picture: Adam Smith

Titans could have had Bennett

GOLD Coast Titans bosses will never truly realise how close they could have come to snaring super coach Wayne Bennett.

Blindside can reveal Bennett was prepared to join the Titans for $600,000-a-season after being told by Broncos hierarchy last year that he would not be getting a contract extension for the 2020 season.

Determined to coach on, Bennett reached out to several clubs via a trusted associate. The third-party made contact with Titans co-owner Darryl Kelly, but the Gold Coast were keen to back Garth Brennan as coach and had the signature of Mal Meninga as performance boss in the pipeline.

The Titans feared chasing Bennett might cost them $1 million a season but the NRL’s greatest coach was prepared to accept far less to prove Broncos bosses wrong and turn the Coast into a genuine finals force.

If Bennett leads the Rabbitohs to the premiership this season, the Titans’ dithering could come back to haunt them.

media_camera Peter Beattie is hoping Magic Round will see a clean bill of health off the field. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Beattie backs his 300 ambassadors

ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie is confident the NRL will avoid any off-field scandals in the coming days as 300 NRL stars descend on Brisbane for the NRL’s historic Magic Round.

So much testosterone and highly-paid rugby league talent in one city can be a dangerous cocktail but Beattie is adamant the penny has dropped for NRL players after rugby league’s summer of shame.

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“I am absolutely confident there will be no issues with player behaviour this weekend,” Beattie said.

“I think the off-season which we’ve all talked too much about is now behind us.

“The reality is everyone understands the standards that are set and we will have 300 ambassadors for the game in Brisbane. Players will be on their best behaviour and I think you will see that and it will be a credit to the game.

“It’s up to the individual clubs to set the standards. The NRL has been visiting the clubs about their behaviour.

“I do believe the players have got the message. You always are cautious about saying that but Queenslanders will be proud of having everyone from the NRL here. There will be 130,000 fans coming into this economy and that’s a great thing. This will be an impeccable event. It’s history in the making.”

media_camera A young Latrell Mitchell in action in 2013.

How Latrell almost became a Bronco

ROOSTERS sensation Latrell Mitchell is the NRL’s man-of-the-moment and his upcoming clash against Brisbane next week will trigger memories of the time he nearly became a Bronco.

Just five years ago, Broncos scouts drove to his hometown Taree to meet with Mitchell. Brisbane were so desperate to get him, they flew him to a Broncos game and introduced the teenager to NRL stars Sam Thaiday and Justin Hodges.

In a bid to seal the deal, the Broncos then called on respected indigenous elder Adrian Coolwell, who opened his Brisbane home to a young man called Greg Inglis when he left Kempsey to attend nearby Wavell High before “GI” joined the Storm.

Ultimately, Mitchell chose the Roosters because they were closer to his hometown than the Broncos. Looking at his form now, Brisbane must rue the champion that got away.

media_camera Wendell Sailor wants to see Israel Folau back in Maroon. Picture: Michael Ross

Wendell wants NRL to back Israel Folau

BRONCOS legend Wendell Sailor has gone against the grain by calling for the NRL to throw Israel Folau a sporting lifeline.

Folau’s Australian rugby career is in tatters following his well-documented social media rant but Sailor urged NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg to put out the welcome mat for the former Broncos and Storm flyer.

Sailor says he will always appreciate the redemption he found in rugby league after returning to the Dragons following his two-year ban for cocaine use.

“The good thing with rugby league is it gives people second and third chances,” Sailor said.

“I don’t think Izzy should be black-banned. If he believes what he believes in that’s fine, but hopefully it’s not the end of Izzy Folau.

“I think the NRL should give him a chance. They have given a chance to other players, so why not Izzy?”

ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie replied: “We are an inclusive game and Israel’s comments are not part of that inclusiveness. The commission has made up its mind.”

media_camera There’s no feud between Cameron Smith and Cameron Munster. Picture: Colleen Petch

No Storm brewing between stars

TALK of tensions between Storm duo Cameron Smith and Cameron Munster is off the mark.

Eyebrows were raised last week when Smith appeared to give Munster an on-field spray after the five-eighth was caught in possession in the final seconds of Melbourne’s shock loss to the Sharks.

Media outlets dissected the blow-up between the Storm duo, but what few know is the close bond Smith and Munster are building.

In recent months, Smith has visited Munster’s home for dinner several times. Smith is acutely aware of the age gap between he and some of the Storm’s emerging stars and is keen to play an active mentoring role.

Smith sees Munster as a future club and Origin captain and wants him to blossom as a leader.

Tigers shopping McQueen and Packer

WESTS Tigers coach Michael Maguire is making changes to his roster.

Veteran forwards Chris McQueen and Russell Packer are both being shopped to rival clubs.

Packer was a co-captain at the Tigers under Ivan Cleary last year but clearly Maguire has other plans.

media_camera Michael Ennis hasn’t made a positive mark on Anthony Seibold. Picture: Brett Costello

Seibold hits back at Ennis

RESPECTED Fox League analyst Michael Ennis pulled no punches last year when he unloaded on Titans forward Bryce Cartwright, and now another man — Anthony Seibold — is off his Christmas card list.

The Broncos coach yesterday hit back at Ennis, who launched an extraordinary attack on Seibold on Monday night. The former Broncos hooker said the current Brisbane side looked over-coached and disinterested and he said Seibold was guilty of feeding the media “statistical rubbish”.

Asked what he thought of Ennis’ comments, Seibold said: “I don’t know Mick Ennis and he doesn’t know me as a coach. He hasn’t sat in any of our team meetings or sessions or anything like that.

“I think he’s got a right to an opinion, he’s in the media now I think. It doesn’t really faze me what he says.”

media_camera Jaydn Su'a was the only tryscorer for Souths Logan. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Broncos feeder clubs stink it up

BRONCOS bosses should be concerned with the form of their feeder teams in the Intrust Super Cup.

Two of Brisbane’s affiliate clubs lost by a combined scoreline of 120-4 last week after Sunshine Coast smashed Souths Logan 72-4 and Burleigh flogged reigning premiers Redcliffe 48-0.

Broncos young gun Jaydn Su’A is regarded as one of Brisbane’s future superstars but after being dropped by coach Anthony Seibold, the back-rower scored Souths Logan’s only try as the Sunny Coast ran in 12 four-pointers.

media_camera Gorden Tallis in action for the Broncos against Perth at the WACA.

Gordie doesn’t back second Brisbane team

FORMER Broncos skipper Gorden Tallis is one Queenslander who doesn’t believe Brisbane needs a second NRL team.

With all 16 clubs descending on Brisbane for the NRL’s Magic Round, it has ignited debate about whether Suncorp Stadium should have a home game every weekend.

Tallis is adamant there should be no team to rival the Broncos.

“It’s whether there is enough talent going around, whether there is enough corporate dollars,” he said.

“It’s tough running an NRL side. If we are going to grow, the pie has to get bigger and I’d rather us move to another state and maybe have two teams in New Zealand.

“When I played in Perth as a player, they (the Western Reds) had 8000 members at the time. The people of Perth are starving for another side.”

media_camera Tom Dearden showed enough in his first game to cause some excitement. Picture: Adam Head

PLAYER STOCKS

RISING

CODY WALKER: If he keeps up this form he will be on the way to a $1 million contract. The Souths maestro is in remarkabletouch and proof a late-bloomer (he debuted at 26) can still develop into an NRL star.

TOM DEARDEN: The 18-year-old showed tons of character against the Rabbitohs in his NRL debut. Good judges believe Dearden will be a 10-year first grader and an Origin star.

LATRELL MITCHELL: Now has claims to being the NRL’s No.1 player after his three-try demolition of the Tigers. Some of histries are an instant replay of a young Greg Inglis’ magical efforts 10 years ago.

JOSH PAPALII: Can be out of sight, out of mind in Canberra but the Queensland Origin hulk is playing some superb midfieldfootball in an in-form Raiders outfit.

media_camera Jamayne Isaako is out of form this year. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

FALLING

JAMAYNE ISAAKO: Has gone from the NRL’s rookie of the year to being dropped from the Broncos top squad in a matter of months. Has lacked his fast feet and tackle-busting brilliance this season.

JAMES MALONEY: Struggling for his best touch in an under-performing Penrith team and it could cost him a NSW Origin jumper.

BRODIE CROFT: The jury remains out on whether he is the halfback to steer the Melbourne Storm machine for the next decade.

TEVITA PANGAI JR: Looks a shadow of the blockbusting forward weapon who was hailed as Brisbane’s version of Jason Taumalolo last season. Off-contract and needs to lift quickly.