Retiring Canberra hero Papali’i fights back tears as Raiders unveil special mural

An emotional Josh Papali’i will remain a one-club player after the Canberra Raiders ’ veteran enforcer announced he will retire at the end of the NRL season.

Ahead of Canberra’s final home game against Brisbane on Friday, the Raiders on Monday unveiled a mural inside GIO Stadium of Papali’i’s famous 2019 preliminary final try, which earned the Green Machine a long-awaited grand final berth.

The unveiling of the artwork only made Papali’i, who was already fighting to hold back tears, even more emotional.

The 34-year-old admitted the decision to leave the club that handed him his NRL debut in 2011 was tough, but he conceded an injury-riddled 2026 season had taken a toll on his body.

“I’m definitely ready. It’s been on my mind for a few weeks now, a few months actually, a lot of sleepless nights just thinking whether I could keep going or not,” Papali’i said as he stood behind his two older children.

“Funny story. On day one of pre-season, before I even started, I went to (coach Ricky Stuart’s) office and said ‘I quit’. Then he told me to just hang on and do one session.

“I went and did that one session and came last in everything, and I was pretty sure from then on.”

There was speculation that Papali’i would switch to the English Super League to finish his career, but the prop said he needed to put his young family first.

“I was pretty keen to head overseas as well, but it just wasn’t meant to be,” he said.

“I’ve got two other young sons at home ... just taking them to England would be tough.

“I’m definitely holding back the tears right now. This club means a lot to me.”

After debuting as a teenager, the prop went on to become the most-capped Raider (currently 340 games), headlined by a grand final appearance against the Sydney Roosters in 2019.

Papali’i has not only enjoyed success with the Green Machine, but also excelled in the State of Origin arena.

He made 24 appearances for the Maroons, even coming out of Origin retirement last year to help the Queenslanders secure a fairytale series victory.