'Carry on what he's built': Raider's vow before Papa's swansong

A big crowd is expected at what has been dubbed 'Papa's House' on Friday night for Canberra's clash with the Broncos. 

Born in Auckland, Papalii spent much of his childhood growing up in Logan before moving to the ACT. 

The prop made 24 appearances for Queensland throughout his career, winning seven State of Origin series. He also represented Australia on 11 occasions and played in the Kangaroos 2013 World Cup triumph. 

Papalii pledged his allegiance to Samoa later in his career and has played a key role in the Pacific nation's development into an international power. 

Through it all, the Raiders were central to Papalii's career, the prop to notch his 341st NRL appearance for the club on Friday night.

Arguably his most famous moment in the lime green was immortalised on Monday when a mural of his match-winning try in the 2019 preliminary final was unveiled at GIO Stadium. 

While his legacy on the field is plain to see, Starling said Papalii drove the off-field culture that has allowed the Raiders to enjoy success throughout the past decade. 

"You look at him and see a big, dominant figure, but you get down to Canberra and realise he's a big cuddly bear," Starling said. "He's the first locker as you walk into the changeroom and he's always there early. 

"My favourite part of the morning is going in and giving him a big hug. When I first moved to Canberra, he was as welcoming as ever. You ask anyone who's come into contact with Papa and they all say he makes you feel welcome. 

"He'll give you the shirt off his back anytime you ask, he makes everyone feel welcome and he's what a Canberra Raider should be."

The Raiders don't need any additional motivation on Friday night, but they have found it in multiple places. 

Last Saturday's victory over the Sharks kept their slim finals hopes alive. With the bye next weekend, Canberra need to beat Brisbane and hope North Queensland lose to the Tigers next week to set up a winner-takes-all Round 27 showdown in Townsville.

Beyond the finals equation, Friday marks the first time Brisbane have travelled to the capital since they broke the hearts of 25,523 Raiders fans in a stunning qualifying final last September. 

While Reece Walsh won't be on the field this weekend, plenty of others remain from a 93-minute epic that was eventually decided by a Ben Hunt field goal. 

Starling said the players haven't forgotten the pain of that Sunday afternoon but declared avenging defeat won't be their primary motivation on Friday night. 

"It's a game that you still think about," Starling said. "It still wakes you up in a nightmare. 

"In saying that, it doesn't matter who we're coming up against, the main focus this week is Papa and that's how it should be. It doesn't matter who we're playing, we're going to be geared up for a big game.

"It's what Papa deserves, for him to go out a winner on his home turf in front of a big crowd, cheering us on and sending him off a winner."

Don't miss your chance to farewell a club legend. Tickets to Josh Papalii's final game in Canberra are selling fast, click here to secure your seats today.