We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders enforcer Josh Papali'i has sent a scare through the camp ahead of their NRL season opener after struggling with a calf problem at training on Monday.
It has him in a race against time to be fit for the Green Machine's round-one clash against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville on Saturday.
It would be a double whammy for the Raiders off the back of losing fullback Xavier Savage (jaw) for the opening few rounds.
Player gains: Pasami Saulo (Knights), Danny Levi (Huddersfield).
Player losses: Josh Hodgson (Eels), Adam Elliott (Knights), Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Warriors), Ryan Sutton (Bulldogs).
Storyline to watch: The regeneration. Just when things looked genuinely wobbly for the Raiders and Ricky Stuart last year, with the side sitting 15th and the relationship between players and coach under the microscope, it all fell into place.
Everything seemed to click for the Raiders last year just when it looked like they’d wasted their chance to reach the finals.Credit:Getty
Playmakers actually made it onto...
Joe Tapine kept telling himself he could be one of the best forwards in the game - he just had to convince everyone else.
That mantle was usually reserved for guys like his Canberra Raiders teammate Josh Papali'i, and North Queensland's million-dollar man Jason Taumalolo. Now all three will be vying for the tag of the NRL's premier middle forward on the same night in Townsville.
Throw in Cowboys trio Jeremiah Nanai, Coen Hess and Jordan McLean, and Canberra's Hudson Young, Corey Harawira-Naera and Elliott Whitehead, and suddenly you've got one of the best forward pack battles a rugby league...