Raiders veteran Josh Papalii has revealed his desire to use the final years of his career mentoring an emerging crop of Canberra youngsters.
The Raiders are in the process of integrating a host of talented juniors into their first grade side, with Ethan Strange and Chevy Stewart among the group making debuts in the past couple of years.
Papalii became just the third Raider to play 300 games a fortnight ago, with the club celebrating the achievement during last week's loss to the Sea Eagles.
The veteran has fond memories of the way senior players including Alan Tongue and Josh Miller took him under their wing when he first broke into the NRL in 2011 and he hopes to repay the favour for the next generation.
Canberra celebrates Papali'i's 300th at home
"They're learning on the run," Papalii said. "It's always good to have an older head around. Experience is a big thing in this game.
"In the near future I'll take a back seat to footy and just be there for the younger boys.
"The boys coming through now are playing some different positions and adapting pretty quickly."
Papalii has taken up a mutual option for the 2025 season but is yet to decide if it will be his last. What he does know is there aren't too many years left before he hangs up the boots.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is currently attempting to juggle the team's quest for immediate success with the need to develop some of the most exciting youngsters in the game.
Five Star Chevy
When Ethan Sanders arrives in the capital next season, the side will boast seven players who have represented the NSW Under 19s across the past two years.
There is plenty of hope in the ACT that this group will form the nucleus of a side capable of ending the Raiders' 30-year premiership drought.
The short-term results have been mixed, with Canberra struggling for consistency through a challenging 2024 campaign. The Raiders currently sit 11th on the ladder with nine wins and 11 losses.
They will travel to Townsville this week for a crucial clash with the Cowboys on Saturday evening as they fight to keep their top eight chances alive.
The Raiders face a brutal schedule to close out the season, with games against the Panthers, Roosters and Dragons across the final three rounds.
Match: Cowboys v Raiders
Round 24 -
home Team
Cowboys
7th Position
away Team
Raiders
11th Position
Venue: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
While every match is a chance to learn, forward Hudson Young said the opportunity to play finals would be an invaluable experience for the team's youngsters.
"It's a great learning experience for the younger players," he said. "They're going to gain great experience in games like this and going against teams like that.
"As long as we're learning and taking steps in the right direction and not backwards, we're looking after them.
"The youngsters have gained great experience this year. As much as we want to make sure we get into the finals, we want them to feel the vibe of the finals and experience that so we can start pushing for top four [in coming years]."
