Hull KR have signed Tevita Pangai Junior on a deal until the end of the season, bringing the 30-year-old Tonga international into their squad for the run-in. Warrington will receive a transfer fee as part of the move, after Pangai Junior withdrew from a deal he had initially agreed to join them in the early part of the 2026 season.
The forward arrives after making 23 appearances for Catalans Dragons in 2025 and gives Hull Kingston Rovers another experienced option as the season reaches its decisive stages. He has also played in the NRL for Brisbane Broncos, Penrith Panthers, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Dolphins, and has boxed professionally as well.
Head coach Willie Peters made clear why the club moved for him now. “On his day, Tevita is one of the most devastating forwards in the game,” Peters said. That sort of impact is exactly what Hull KR are buying, and they are doing it with an immediate deadline in mind rather than a longer project.
The timing of the signing matters because Pangai Junior had already appeared set for Warrington in 2026 before pulling out, leaving that club to recover a transfer fee while Hull KR moved quickly to secure him instead. It is the kind of late switch that can reshape plans on both sides, especially when a player with his size, pedigree and unpredictability becomes available near the end of a campaign.
For Hull Kingston Rovers, the bet is straightforward: if Pangai Junior plays anywhere near his best, he can change a game in a single spell. For Warrington, the outcome is different but at least not empty-handed. And for Pangai Junior, the next few weeks now offer another chance to show that the destructive version Peters described is still there.
