An emotional Josh Papali'i has decided to retire from the Canberra Raiders, marking the end of his time as a one-club player.
As Canberra prepares for their last home match against Brisbane on Friday, a mural depicting Papali'i's iconic try from the 2019 preliminary final, which secured the Raiders a long-awaited grand final spot, was unveiled at GIO Stadium on Monday.
The artwork reveal deepened Papali'i's emotional state as he struggled to hold back tears.
At 34, he shared that leaving the club where he began his NRL journey in 2011 was a difficult choice, especially after a challenging 2026 season filled with injuries that affected his performance.
"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," he expressed, flanked by his two older children.
In a lighthearted moment, he recounted how he approached coach Ricky Stuart on the first day of pre-season to say, "I quit," only for Stuart to encourage him to give it one session, which led to his realization to continue.
Rumors circulated about a potential move to the English Super League to conclude his career, but the prop prioritized his young family instead.
"I was pretty keen to head overseas as well, but it just wasn't meant to be," he stated.
He added, "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."
Having debuted as a teenager, he became the most-capped Raider, currently with 340 games, and featured prominently in the grand final against the Sydney Roosters in 2019.
Papali'i has also excelled in the State of Origin arena, representing the Maroons 24 times and even coming out of retirement last year to contribute to Queensland's remarkable series victory.
Despite the Raiders' limited chances of making the finals this season, he expressed no regrets about taking an additional year after their minor premiership win in 2025.
As he looks ahead to Friday's game, Papali'i has hinted at the possibility of representing either Samoa or the Cook Islands in the Rugby League World Cup, with family ties to both Pacific nations.
"It would be nice to represent the Kukis or Samoa in the World Cup, but there's a lot of young, talented players coming through," he said.
He added, "The last couple of weeks are getting to me physically, so I'd probably just have to focus on this Friday, and we'll cross that bridge when we get there."