Tevita Pangai Jr is loving life at Hull KR at the minute, and has praised boss Willie Peters for helping him find his love for the sport again.
The former Catalans and NRL man was confirmed to sign for the Robins in May and made his debut a fortnight ago against York Knights.
He was again named to take on Leigh Leopards, and in both of his appearances so far has provided great impact off the bench, both due to his strong carries and offloading game.
It took time for him to make his debut, but after putting the work in to be match fit, he has quickly become a key part of the Robins’ forward pack.
“I come a bit underdone,” Pangai Jr said to the press this week. “I enjoyed the baguettes in France and the croissants.
“It’s good that there’s no good bread here and no good croissants here, and I’m living with Tyrone (May) now.
“He’s keeping me on the straight and narrow. We’re only eating good food, so he’s keeping me lean, off the carbs. It’s been awesome.
“Willie and Tyrone are a big reason why I’ve come here. We’ve had relationships in Australia. It’s good to play under Willie and I’m really enjoying being coached by him.”
The enforcer is still the newbie in the group, and whilst the KR players have welcomed him with open arms, Pangai Jr still needs to earn their trust, something that will only come with time and his actions on the field.
“It’s been pretty tough, to be honest,” he said regarding settling in. “I’m just trying to get in good nick just to earn the boys’ respect. Obviously, they’ve set a high standard with what they’ve done last year, and I’m not coming here to be a liability.
“There’s always been, I feel like, good Polynesian players that come over, but sometimes the food can get the best of them. Hopefully, I don’t fall down that trap.”
Peters was hailed by his new signing for not only his man management skills but his coaching philosophy, and Pangai Jr couldn’t speak highly enough of the Robins boss.
He said: “I really like playing for him and I’m enjoying being coached with him. He’s just real direct and honest. That’s how I like it.
“He’s a lot tougher now, which I like. He’s got that good old school mentality with a bit of new school. He’s got a mixture of both so it works for me because, obviously, I need to be put into line sometimes, which he’s done a lot since I’ve been here.
“Hopefully, I get back to my best under him… “It’s weird to say that at 30, but I don’t think I have [hit full potential] just on a consistent basis, which is all the decisions.
“I’ve never really been consistent with my routine and my nutrition. If I can master that, which I’m obviously working on with Tyrone and with Willie, hopefully I’ll see my best in my 30s.”
Asked why he thinks he’s never hit his peak, he replied: “I don’t mean to say this arrogantly, but I’ve always known that I have a lot of talent, and sometimes you can take that for granted.
“Talent’s nothing if you don’t work hard and sacrifice. I’m learning. I’ve learned late, but at least I’m learning.”
