“I was close to joining Parra. I met with the board and wanted to play under ‘Sticky’ (Stuart) but I couldn’t, I backed out because I have a small family and I couldn’t see myself living in Sydney,” Papalii told the publication.

“At that stage in my life I thought Canberra was the best place for me.

“But Souths was a team I looked at when Seibold was there. I spoke to Seebs a few times. Nothing ever went beyond those early chats. I also never put myself out there.”

There are many priceless memories Papalii has made during his 14 years in Canberra.

It was his first in 2011, when the Raiders avoided an eighth consecutive defeat to stun the Storm in Melbourne. The try in the preliminary final (above) that sent the Raiders through to the 2019 grand final will never be forgotten.

Jamal Fogarty’s ankle-tapping 60-metre run against Gold Coast in 2020 – the game’s inspirational pass was later commemorated on a pair of limited-edition 40-inch polyester Budgy Skugglers – is played back to him every day before training.

“My son Noa is six years old and he learned how to play YouTube clips, so he plays my highlights every morning before he goes to school,” Papalii said. “He’s my butler. He’s got the same mullet, the same attitude, the same body.

“When Jamal first came to the club, everything was fun. That trial in the preliminaries is played every day. These are memories I will cherish for a long time.”

Papalii rated Elliott Whitehead as one of the toughest opponents he has ever played with, while he also rated Paul Gallen as one of the toughest opponents he has ever played against.

The 32-year-old will not be shown any love by Belmore fans. Raiders officials can still remember the day in 2016 when a fan threw a glass bottle at Frank-Paul Nu’uausala as he warmed up on an exercise bike on the sidelines at the historic suburban venue.

Papalii’s mother, Luama, had only one wish before her son’s journey to Belmore.

“My mom wants me to cut my hair and look respectable for all the (300-game) photos,” Papalii said. “I grew my hair for two years, I cut it all off but missed it and grew it back.

“It got cut in half, but that’s only because (teammate) Danny Levi cut it the wrong way. I told him to cut the bottom part a few weeks ago, but he cut it in half. It still looks good.”

Papalii will be joined by his wife Masepa and their three children, Khalani, 10, Noa and Joshua, 2. The Raiders will celebrate at home next Saturday.

Papalii has signed for next year and will overtake Jason Croker (318 matches) as the most-capped Raider if he stays injury-free, but he has not yet considered his plans after that. More golf is an option. He has a seven handicap.

Raiders fan favourite Jack Wighton, who has joined Souths, has expressed his delight at Papalii’s departure ahead of his crucial match.

Wighton said Papalii and he started in the same starting 11 as Raiders under-18s, and that they consoled each other when they were both homesick in those early days.

“Joshy Paps is one of the best mates you’ll ever have, one of the best teammates, one of the best family men you’ll ever meet,” Wighton said. “He was like a wombat flying at you (in the opposing sessions). And he’s got footwork and ball skills on top of that. If you got him upset, you’d know it.”

Xerri’s return was almost over before it began

Bronson Xerri’s remarkable return to the NRL after a four-year absence almost came to an end in the second week of pre-season training.

The Bulldogs have surprised everyone with their solid performances this year and few truly believed Xerri would make such an impact after his long drug ban.

While Xerri had set a lofty goal of starting in the first round, he briefly wondered if he could get back on track after coming to a complete stop while running laps at Belmore.

Despite sprint training three days a week with Roger Fabri and two wrestling sessions at Smeaton Grange, Xerri was shocked by the intensity of his return to rugby league.

“I thought I trained really hard in the preseason, but it wasn’t as hard as it was going to be in reality,” Xerri told this publication.

“We did a fitness workout one morning and I couldn’t make it. It was a long-distance run after a long workout.

“It got to the point where I couldn’t finish. I’ve never stopped in my career, in pre-season. But I had nothing left in my tank. I was so embarrassed. My body wasn’t ready for it.

“Ciro (coach Cameron Ciraldo) came to me and asked, ‘Do you still want this?’

“I told him straight away, ‘Of course I still want this’. Being out for four years, my form, my football, I never doubted myself but I knew it would be difficult.

“Hearing what Ciro told me motivated me even more.”

Xerri has earned a place in the starting line-up and will be reunited with winger Josh Addo-Carr for Sunday’s clash with the Raiders.

Proving how far his physical and mental strength has come, Xerri has survived the last two games against the Cowboys and Broncos, battling the flu, and has not trained at all for the past week leading up to the shock win over Brisbane.

The 23-year-old said time away from the game had given him a better understanding of what he was going through at the moment, including the chance to walk onto the pitch with his Bulldogs team-mates alongside fans from the league club.

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“I talked to Ciro about this a few weeks ago, asking if I would be as grateful as I am now if I hadn’t lived those four years,” Xerri said.

“Up until then I had everything. I went straight from school to the NRL. I never had to work. Everything was given to me.

“I feel lucky to be doing what I love every game.

“The family name has been dragged through the mud for the last few years. A big part of me coming back was to shine a light on our name and make my family proud again. We all enjoy having it there.”

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