BY DAN

Josh Papalii’s career is coming to an end, if you believe FoxSports.

Causally dropping that an Origin legend, international player, and near 300 game one club man is finishing up at the end of 2024 into a list management piece is intriguing reporting. It certainly isn’t befitting Papalii’s impact. If he is retiring at the end of 2024 as suggested I hope we all get to make a lot of noise about it. Then again, quietly doing his job would be pretty normal for Josh.

It comes as a surprise in a sense. Papalii’s production, while not at peak levels, is still worthy of a first grade spot. His statistics in 2023 were similar to previous years. His metres per game in 2023 were just as high as 2016 and similar to all years outside of his peak through 2019 and 2020. He looked to have found a new lease on life coming off the bench in the second half of the season. In short, it still felt like he had more to offer.

But he’s (apparently) made the decision that this year will be his last and we’re frankly gutted. I hope that Papalii is driving this end rather than the Raiders. There is no man in recent history than has done more to carry to hopes and dreams of every Canberra fan on their back. Four Meninga medals at three different positions. Rep footy across the best part of 10 years. The grand final season was the cart he dragged through the mud with a quiet grit and good humour. He took every tough carry, made every moment a winner, with an equanimity that was both astounding and inspiring.

And it’s been that way throughout his career. He’s been central to so many great Canberra moments. Scaring Paul Gallen into asking the referee for protection in the 2012 semi final. Rolling Damian Cook on the way to the 2019 grand final – one of the great performances by a forward in the NRL era. His barnstorming long range effort to almost solely turn around the Raiders 2020 season against the rooster. Chasing down Jamal Fogarty. These highlights understate where his impact was its most profound: where cowards fear to tread and most people don’t notice.

He did the hardest work. The most physically demanding. The work given least credit and the smallest amount of the limelight. He was the man that took every dirty and dead carry through his time in the middle, and had the incredible ability to turn nothing into something. He was our Atlas, holding the world up to ensure the rest of the team could prosper.

His departure will leave a hole bigger than the heart of the man, no matter what your local couch list manager says. Or course ageing players need to be appropriately managed and the cold scalpel of roster management gets eventually applied to most players. But the importance of Papalii to Canberra, and the Raiders, and this side in particular, cannot be understated. With a host of experienced players now leaving it’s beyond the changing of the guard. It’s the departure of the soul of the club.

If there’s a silver lining it’s that he may end his career a one club man. Our treasure forever. For a long time we’ve said that there should be a statue with his likeness outside Bruce. It’s a claim we made in the heated moments of 2019 but it’s one that holds true. He deserves every plaudit, every tear, every congratulations coming his way.

I’m just glad we get to watch him, and thank him, for one more year.

If you believe Fox sports.

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