Joash Papalii Shines on Dream NRL Debut with Try and Emotional Family Celebration
Joash Papalii may have closed his eyes when he scored his debut try on Friday night, but they were wide open afterward as he soaked up a milestone moment surrounded by family and friends in the CommBank Stadium sheds. The 20-year-old lived out his childhood dream of playing for the Eels, and the celebration was one to remember.
Post-match, emotions ran high as Papalii’s loved ones proudly held up signs while he took photos with nearly everyone in the dressing room. Gone was the nervous energy from earlier in the evening—replaced by pride and joy. His father shared hugs with senior players, and after a wave of cheering and laughter, Papalii was briefly pulled aside for a quiet interview, grinning from ear to ear for a full eight minutes.
The lead-up to his debut had been far more nerve-wracking. Earlier in the week, Papalii had no idea he was about to receive the news he’d waited his whole life to hear.
“I was walking through the physio room and heard, ‘Joash!’—Jason Ryles called me into his office,” Papalii recalled. “Nathan Brown asked if I was in trouble. I was shaking. Ryles sat me down and said I was playing well—and then he told me I was debuting this week. I was in shock. I nearly cried.”
After time in Canterbury’s system, Papalii made the switch to Parramatta this year and impressed in reserve grade. Despite frequently being named as 18th man, he finally got the call to make his NRL debut, coming off the bench in the match against Manly.
He didn’t have to wait long to make an impact—Will Penisini went off with a head knock just minutes into the game, pushing Papalii straight into action. By the 24th minute, he was finishing a line break with a try in the right-hand corner, eyes shut as he dove over the line.
“I didn’t expect it,” Papalii admitted. “I saw Dylan Walker break through and thought, ‘I need to chase’. Then Dean Hawkins got tackled and tossed the ball to me. I grabbed it, dummied, and when I opened my eyes I was like, ‘Wow, I actually scored!’”
It was a surreal moment, made even more special by the roar of the crowd and the presence of his massive support crew—he’s not sure if it was 150, 250, or 300 people, but fans had come from all over, including Melbourne, to witness his big moment.
The nephew of Raiders great Josh Papalii was full of energy and humour both on and off the field, soaking up every second of his debut. But at the heart of it all, his main goal was simple—make his family proud.
“All I’ve ever wanted was to repay my parents for everything they’ve done,” he said. “I just wanted to give back and make them proud.”
