Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Find your frequency hereJosh Papali'i on Ricky, Eels and Raiders' chances in 2025
Nicholas Quinlan • June 8th, 2025 10:30 am
Josh Papali’i has reflected on the time that he almost left the Raiders as he currently celebrates becoming the all-time game record holder at Canberra.
This week has seen the celebration of ‘Big Papa’ as he breaks Jason Croker’s all-time games record playing in his 319th NRL game for the Green Machine.
The 23-time Queensland Origin player has been an integral part of the side within their forward pack since debuting in 2011.
Since that debut, he has been a constant for Canberra having played a minimum of 18 games in every season bar his first.
Across the years, he has been exceptional for the Raiders averaging a 95% tackle efficiency rate and 117 run meters across his career. He also managed to score 65 tries.
Although, it was not always a guarantee that Papali’i would remain a Raider.
Back in 2013, it appeared that the gun prop was headed to Parramatta to join Ricky Stuart at the Eels on a three-year deal starting in 2014.
Instead, it would be Stuart making the switch to Canberra in 2014 with Papali’i instead signing a three-year deal to stay.
Reflecting back to that time, Papali’i admitted that he had signed the deal knowing there would be a period for the Raiders to match.
And while it may have been lower than the Eels’ offer, it was ultimately good enough to keep him.
“Going back to 2013, I actually signed (with Parramatta). I was gone,” Papali’i reflectively said on SEN 1170’s Breakfast.
“I told Donnie (Don Furner) that I’m off. I knew I had a cooling period that the Raiders could come back and counter the offer from Parra.
“The first couple of days were pretty cold, pretty quiet and the Raiders…they didn’t match the offer at the time, but it was good enough for me and my family and I chose to stay and thank God I did.
“I think I’ve done well for the club and the club has done well for me, so it works hand in hand.”
Throughout the majority of his NRL career, he has been coached by Stuart.
While there have been plenty of times that they haven’t always agreed on things, he has enjoyed his time under the 2002 Premiership coach and former Raider great.
“We’ve had our run-ins, we’ve had our disagreements in the past,” Papali’i noted.
“I’ve seen all sides of Ricky and the side I love most about Ricky is the caring father he is away from footy, the caring man that he is that the people don’t actually see on TV.
“That’s why I wanted to play under him back in Parra and why I chose to leave the Raiders in the first place.”
Looking at this season, the Raiders’ premiership chances are well and truly alive with Papali’i believing this group can do something truly special and potentially break Canberra’s 31-year premiership drought.
“I’m always dreaming. From the first season I started playing, I always dreamt of winning a grand final and ’19 was so close but still pretty far," he said.
“I’m not going to say we’re going to win this year 'cause that’s everyone’s plan. But I do know that we are going to do something special, especially with this young group.”
Papali’i will start for the first time since Round 7 in the Raiders clash against South Sydney on Sunday at GIO Stadium.
