This is the seventeenth instalment of 2018 in review. As usual, now the Raiders' season is done, we are reviewing all 25 players who pulled on a green jersey in first grade in 2018. So far, we've looked at Jack Wighton, Nick Cotric, Jarrod Croker, Joey Leilua, Jordan Rapana, Blake Austin, Aidan Sezer, Sam Williams, Junior Paulo, Sia Soliola, Josh Hodgson, Siliva Havili, Shannon Boyd, Dunamis Lui, Joe Tapine and Elliott Whitehead.
Josh Papalii played 22 of 24 premiership matches in 2018. He was dropped to the Raiders' NSW Premiership affiliate, Mounties, in Round 5 after a slow start to his season. He responded with a man of the match performance for Mounties, clocking up an impressive 182 metres from 17 runs, 78 post contact metres, four tackle breaks and 21 tackles. He was restored to the top team in Round 6 and never looked back.
“I probably agreed with Ricky on the call to drop me back,” Papalii said after his return to first grade. “I just copped it on the chin like most players would. Sticky said I wasn’t in form and dropped me back for one week. I’ve been in these shoes before. I got dropped back to Souths Logan back in the day. Sometimes to try and get that spark you need to take a few steps backwards and come back a better player.”
He certainly did that. After returning to firsts, Papalii shifted from the edge to the middle and made the lock position his own. He played a total of 15 matches at lock, six in the second row, and two off the bench. The only other match he missed was the Round 17 clash with the Bulldogs, due to Queensland Origin duty. And at season's end, he was named Meninga Medalist and Fans' Choice Player of the Year.
Papalii was Canberra's most damaging forward. He made an average of 126 metres from 14 runs per match, the only Raiders forward to break the 100 metre mark. He broke the 200 metres gained mark in the Round 10 match against the Sharks and the 150 metre mark in seven matches. Amongst the Raiders' forwards, he ranked equal third for try involvements, equal first for line breaks and second for tackle breaks, just marginally behind Joe Tapine.
He ranked sixth amongst NRL locks for total running metres, and was inside the top 10 NRL locks for average running metres and metres per carry. He was second only to Jason Taumalolo for tackle breaks (56) amongst NRL locks.
In defence, Papalii averaged 27 tackles per game this year - up from the 22 he registered up in 2017 - ranking fourth amongst the Raiders forwards. The top 10 locks averaged 30 or more. His tackle efficiency rate (91 per cent) is good - albeit not in the top 10 locks - and his missed tackle average is low. He was well down the list of locks for try causes, errors and penalties conceded.
I rated him an average of 7/10 per match through the season and ranked first in the total points tally. My rating below reflects his overall contribution to the Raiders' season. I rated him an "8" eight times. It is difficult to pick out his best performances, but I'll highlight a few.
In Round 10 against the Sharks, he produced a season high 213 metres from 18 runs, one try assist, one line break assist, one offload and 31 tackles. Against the Cowboys in Round 18, he made 19 runs for 182 metres, 101 post contact metres, three tackle breaks and 31 tackles. He was outstanding in the narrow Round 22 loss to the Wests Tigers, when he scored one try and made 18 runs for 172 metres, 64 post contact metres, five tackles breaks, one line break assist, one off load, 38 tackles. He backed that up in the Round 23 win over the Roosters. In that match he made 15 runs for 156 metres, 62 post contact metres, four tackles breaks, three off loads and 33 tackles. His season high tackle count (46) came in the final round loss to the Warriors.
He took Fans' Choice man of the match in six matches (Round 10 V Sharks, Round 11 V Dragons, Round 14 V Panthers, Round 18 V Cowboys, Round 23 V Roosters and Round 25 V Warriors).
Papalii played all three State of Origin matches for the Maroons this season, and put himself back into contention for Kangaroos selection.
"I thought he had a really good series, I think he's having a really good year," Australian coach Mal Meninga said after the Origin series.
"Certainly since he's been dropped, come back in the side and playing in the middle of the field at 13 he's excelled. I think he's one of the best forwards in the competition at the moment on form."
"The good thing with 'Papa' is he's got flexibility. He can play edge, he can play middle. The middle suits him. He's a big unit, got good footwork, good speed, he's got a great motor, he can last good minutes."
He was ultimately not included in the Kangaroos squad for the end of season Tests against New Zealand and Tonga - but that had more to do with his unavailability due to wedding plans than his form.
Papalii earned a four year contract extension with the Raiders in June, tying him to the Green Machine until the end of 2022. He'll be aged 30 by the end of that deal, and it now seems likely he'll end his career as a one club man. There's no doubt in my mind Papalii was the Raiders' best in 2018.
How did you rate Josh Papalii's season? Tell us below.
Josh Papalii's 2018: 8/10
2018 Statistics: (Stats from Fox Sports Lab)
Games: 22
Average minutes: 67.4
Points: 20
Tries: 5
Try assists: 2
Try contributions: 0
Total try involvements: 7
Total kicks: 0
Kick metres: 0m
Total runs: 306
All run metres: 2776
Average metres per carry: 9.1m
Average metres per game: 126m
Tackle breaks: 56
Offloads: 14
Line breaks: 7
Line break assists: 4
Tackles: 583
Average tackles per game: 26.5
1 on 1 tackles: 34
Missed tackles: 33
Average missed tackles per game: 1.5
Tackle efficiency: 91 per cent
Try causes: 6
Line break causes: 12
Errors: 7
Penalties conceded: 11
