McHunt
International Rep
Contributor
- Aug 25, 2018
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Tevita Pangai Jr tells the Courier Mail:
“I have to change my ways. I have been looking at myself and my game and trying to get better. I want to have a big year. I feel like I owe that to the boys. It’s been hard missing so many games. I just want to get back out there and help the team. A lot of the suspensions were because of high-intensity moments, but I can’t keep going down to Sydney for judiciary meetings."
“From now on, I will be working hard to stay on the field. I want to lead the boys with my aggression, but it’s important I find that balance. I have a rule now: if anyone is on the ground, I won’t be jumping on them (like he did with O’Neill in round one). Hopefully I don’t break that rule.”
"Hopefully" won't do this again.
“I have matured. During the break, I have had a few conversations with people I trust and I feel like I have learned a few things, but it’s up to me to deliver on the field. I’ve been off the drink for a while now, completely. I don’t miss alcohol at all. I’ve seen what alcohol does to families and how people act when they drink. It changes their behaviours and they can make silly decisions. It’s also against my religious beliefs. I have come to grips with my faith and my place in rugby league. I feel like my attitude can help my football. Some of the best athletes, like Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather (boxing greats), never drank."
“I don’t feel like I have hit my peak yet as a player. I am only 24 and the penny has dropped. This is my fifth season now and it’s time for me to deliver. The Broncos have given me a big contract and I have to start paying them back.”
The penny dropping
Pangai's been training pretty much every day with his mate Quade Cooper, who's introduced him to some kind of bonkers caveman diet:
“Quade is like a big brother to me. I’m not as extreme as Quade with my diet but I feel eating heaps of meat helps me. I’m 118kg, so I’ve gotten a bit bigger. I don’t mind playing at this weight, that’s when I play my best footy. I have been eating a lot of meat and training hard in the gym. It’s a hard diet to follow, but in terms of muscle gain and body fat percentage it has helped me a lot. I feel a big and strong. I don’t have too many carbs, just heaps of meat and seafood. I have learnt a lot from Quade. I have seen how professional he is. We did a fair bit of training over the break and the way he treats his body, his diet, his prehab, he just ticks all the boxes and I have learned a lot in those areas."
“Coming back this week, I want to be showing more aggression with the ball instead of defence. I would like to think I am a strong ball carrier with the footy and I want to focus on my attack and that’s where the game is heading anyway with these new rules. There’s no way I’ve delivered my best.”
No sir, you have not.
McHunt
“I have to change my ways. I have been looking at myself and my game and trying to get better. I want to have a big year. I feel like I owe that to the boys. It’s been hard missing so many games. I just want to get back out there and help the team. A lot of the suspensions were because of high-intensity moments, but I can’t keep going down to Sydney for judiciary meetings."
“From now on, I will be working hard to stay on the field. I want to lead the boys with my aggression, but it’s important I find that balance. I have a rule now: if anyone is on the ground, I won’t be jumping on them (like he did with O’Neill in round one). Hopefully I don’t break that rule.”
"Hopefully" won't do this again.
“I have matured. During the break, I have had a few conversations with people I trust and I feel like I have learned a few things, but it’s up to me to deliver on the field. I’ve been off the drink for a while now, completely. I don’t miss alcohol at all. I’ve seen what alcohol does to families and how people act when they drink. It changes their behaviours and they can make silly decisions. It’s also against my religious beliefs. I have come to grips with my faith and my place in rugby league. I feel like my attitude can help my football. Some of the best athletes, like Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather (boxing greats), never drank."
“I don’t feel like I have hit my peak yet as a player. I am only 24 and the penny has dropped. This is my fifth season now and it’s time for me to deliver. The Broncos have given me a big contract and I have to start paying them back.”
The penny dropping
Pangai's been training pretty much every day with his mate Quade Cooper, who's introduced him to some kind of bonkers caveman diet:
“Quade is like a big brother to me. I’m not as extreme as Quade with my diet but I feel eating heaps of meat helps me. I’m 118kg, so I’ve gotten a bit bigger. I don’t mind playing at this weight, that’s when I play my best footy. I have been eating a lot of meat and training hard in the gym. It’s a hard diet to follow, but in terms of muscle gain and body fat percentage it has helped me a lot. I feel a big and strong. I don’t have too many carbs, just heaps of meat and seafood. I have learnt a lot from Quade. I have seen how professional he is. We did a fair bit of training over the break and the way he treats his body, his diet, his prehab, he just ticks all the boxes and I have learned a lot in those areas."
“Coming back this week, I want to be showing more aggression with the ball instead of defence. I would like to think I am a strong ball carrier with the footy and I want to focus on my attack and that’s where the game is heading anyway with these new rules. There’s no way I’ve delivered my best.”
No sir, you have not.
McHunt
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