‘I’m pretty keen’: Big Papa is back, can he help save Raiders season?
Canberra’s inspirational prop Josh Papalii is set to return this week marking a major boost for a Raiders side desperately clinging to its NRL finals hopes.
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The 34-year-old, now in his 16th and almost certainly final season since debuting way back in 2011, has racked up 334 NRL games for the green machine to become the club’s most capped player.
Papalii hasn’t featured since Round 7 when he suffered a serious calf tear during Canberra’s home win over the Storm in April and nearly three months later he says he’s finally ready to go.
“I’m pretty keen to join boys and play some footy,” he told the media ahead of Round 19.
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“Rehab is a lonely place, but I think my body needed it… I’m refreshed and ready to go now,” he added.
Mind you, Papalii sees his role as more than just a return to the field for Ricky Stuart’s struggling side.
‘We’re pretty desperate for wins’ admits Papalii
With the Raiders having lost six of their nine matches in Papalii’s absence, the veteran prop wants to steady the ship and support the club’s younger players through what’s been a tough stretch.
“We’re in a position now where we’re pretty desperate for wins,” he admitted.
“What’s important (for me) is bringing that energy and a bit of experience, just being there for the younger boys who haven’t been in this position before.”
Last year’s minor premiers currently sit 13th on the NRL ladder, three wins outside the top eight with nine rounds remaining, realistically making this weekend’s clash with the 10th-placed Bulldogs a must-win game to stay in touch.
Despite the grim ladder position, Papalii remains confident a finals charge is still possible, pointing to history for proof.
“One year that springs to mind is 2012, we made a late run and got a home final against the Sharks and won that,” he recalled of just his second NRL season.
“The playing group we have now can do that job,” he declared.
Adding to his optimism, the Raiders will also be bolstered by the return of Blues Origin stars Hudson Young and Ethan Strange, both fresh off NSW’s stirring State of Origin series win.
“After Origin camps you do come back with an extra boost, especially after winning the series, and no doubt they’ll bring a lot of energy back,” Papalii said, having featured in 24 Origin matches himself before retiring last year.
In a double dose of good news for the Raiders, boom second rower Noah Martin also returns to the Canberra pack this weekend after a long injury layoff.
The Canberra Raiders face the Canterbury Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Saturday afternoon in NRL Round 19. Kickoff at 5:30 p.m.
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