Josh Papalii will retire from rugby league after the 2026 season, concluding his impressive career with the Canberra Raiders.
Canberra Raiders veteran Josh Papalii has confirmed he will retire from rugby league at the end of the 2026 NRL season.
Papalii, who at one point was never supposed to play 2026 with the Green Machine, was offered a year extension to remain with the club after form good enough to earn him a State of Origin recall at the end of 2025.
There was still talk he was looking to play on in 2027 in the English Super League, but speaking at a media conference on Monday, Papalii said this season would be his last, meaning this weekend's game will be his last in Canberra.
The Raiders host the Brisbane Broncos on Friday evenings, before finishing their season with a b ye, and a Round 27 road trip to play the North Queensland Cowboys where Papalii will bring the curtain down on an incredible career that will likely finish on 342 games, to go with 24 State of Origins, 11 Tests for Australia, and another 13 for Samoa.
