Candice Warner is shocked by footy star Tevita Pangai Jr’s ‘sad’ confession about how many friends he has left in the NRL

Tevita Pangai Junior’s sobering confession about how close he is to former teammates and coaches following his well-publicised retirement from the NRL has shocked Candice Warner.

The footy star dropped a bombshell when he announced he was quitting rugby league in August to pursue a career in boxing.

The former Origin star admitted he’d had little communication with anyone involved in the game since walking away from his lucrative Bulldogs contract.

‘I’ve heard from probably two players and the coach since I’ve left, it’s all bulls**t,’ he said on Triple M Rocks Footy.

Warner was floored by the revelation from Pangai Junior.

‘Is that for real?’ she remarked. 

‘You were in a team sport for the Dogs and you’ve heard from two of your former players?

‘That’s sad.’

Pangai Junior went on to add: ‘In total, I can count on two hands who I’m still friends with in the game. All this brotherhood talk … It’s all fake.

‘People hate the truth. That’s the truth.’

He went on to explain that he doesn’t like to take orders from others.

‘Everyone does [not like being told what to do]. Even Wayne [Bennett] does, that’s why he got kicked out of the Broncos, who wants to answer to a board ?’ he said.

‘I just love to tell it how it is. The people that I look up to, you think Gus (Gould) wants to answer to a board and his footy IQ is higher than them? It’s crazy.’

Pangai Junior survived a big scare over the weekend to win his first boxing fight since making the move to retire from rugby league.

Candice Warner described the former footy star’s sobering confession as sad

Pangai won a six-round slugfest on Saturday night against Frank Amato – proving he has what it takes to try to make a fist out of a boxing career

He stole the headlines at the press conference before the bout on the card of the Battle on the Reef footy fight night, issuing a warning to his opponent and his critics.

‘I’m here to prove my doubters and haters wrong,’ he said.

‘The media are always telling me what to do. I’m sick of taking orders off halfbacks and coaches.

‘Make sure you’re ready.’

Pangai Junior told Daily Mail Australia that he plans to emulate the career of his hero Mundine – and sees himself finding even more success than his idol.

‘The big thing about me stepping away (from the NRL) is that I want to be my own boss,’ he said.

‘I love Choc – but I want to be bigger than him. If I’m not trying to surpass him, what am I doing it for!

‘I thank Choc, but I want to be the biggest name in boxing in Australia.’